Coming Back to You
by SehunsBae37
Summary: What if on that fateful night in Godric's Hollow, Lily escaped with baby Harry before Voldemort got to them ? In doing so, she ends up on the doorstep of an old friend. Can Lily and Severus reconcile and pick up where they left off?
1. Chapter 1

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 1: The Escape

"Lily! Lily, he's here!" James yelled as he ran back into the kitchen where Lily was cooking. Lily looked up at her husband with fear in her eyes. Her breath left her as she ran towards James and they cautiously stepped back into the living room. Looking out of the window, they saw a cloaked figure enter the fence leading to their stone walkway that led to their front door. James grabbed his wife by her shoulders and spun her to face him.

"Lily, go upstairs to Harry. Protect him at all costs," he told her firmly. Lily's green eyes widened at the words.

"What about you, James? He'll kill you!" she said in fear, tears welling up in her green eyes. James gave her a kiss before pushing her towards the stairs as he yelled, "Go!"

Lily didn't look back as she bolted up the stairs and down the hall to the nursery that housed her one year old son. He was sitting up in his crib rubbing his eyes sleepily. Lily picked him up as soon as she heard the front door burst open. Wrapping his baby blanket around him as she heard spells being fired off back and forth, she set him back into the crib and quickly ran to her and James' bedroom to retrieve her wand. As she ran back across the hall way, she heard the words of the Killing Curse ring throughout the house and saw a flash of bright green light.

Gasping in horror, she quickly ran back into the nursery and slammed the door shut and locked it. Picking Harry with his blanket up out of his crib, she quickly made her way to the window and opened it as high as it could go. She turned to look back at the door when she heard the knob turning.

Holding Harry tight to her, she carefully but swiftly climbed out of the window, dropping down to the ground below. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she heard the explosion of the nursery door above her. She knew she wouldn't get away fast enough on foot, so she had to Apparate.

With one place in mind, she quickly thought of its coordinates and turned on the spot with Harry pressed to her breast, feeling the sensation of being sucked through a tight tube. Her feet planted on the ground and she opened her eyes, staring up at the street sign. It said Spinner's End.


	2. Chapter 2

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 2: Giving Shelter

Severus sat in front of the fireplace, a cup of black tea steaming next to him as he read the latest article out of the magazine Potions & Brewing Monthly. He was in the middle of a very interesting article about a rare plant that could be used to help improve the trial potions for permanent paralysis by at least twenty percent. Severus smirked thinking that the plant plus a change in ingredients would ultimately make it perfect.

He frowned when a frantic knock sounded upon his door. Who in the name of Merlin could possibly be at his door at this hour? Obviously not Lucius Malfoy, or he would have entered through the Floo. As the knocking continued and became more insistent, he set the magazine aside and stood up from his armchair, striding across the floor to the black oak door. Reaching out, he grabbed the knob and turned it, pulling the door open.

Surprise formed on Severus' pale face as he came face to face with the one person who meant more to him than anything. Her beautiful red hair was slightly longer than it had been the last time he had seen her, and her green eyes were as captivating as ever. However, those eyes were filled with fear as she looked back at him.

"Severus, would you please let us in?" Lily asked him, holding her son to her as she silently pleaded with him for help. Severus stared at her before ushering her inside his home, looking out and scanning the streets to make sure no one was watching before shutting and bolting the door. Turning back to Lily, he saw her as she sat down on the sofa in front of the fireplace and unwrapped her child. Slowly making his way back to his armchair, he asked, "What are you doing here, Lily? Shouldn't you be home with Potter?"

Lily's eyes filled with fresh tears as she looked down at Harry who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. She gave a small breath before answering, "He's dead. You-Know-Who found us and he killed James as I escaped with Harry."

Severus' eyes widened, his chest clenching as he thought of the prophecy he recounted to Lord Voldemort that led up to Potter being killed while he went after his spawn. He didn't care that Potter was dead, as he had wished for it since his Hogwarts years, but he couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness for Lily, seeing as she was his wife. If she hadn't been able to grieve back at Godric's Hollow, she would here at some point. He sat down in his chair, staring into the burning fire before saying, "I'm sorry."

Lily knew he was apologizing for telling the prophecy rather than James' death, but she took it. She never blamed him for what he did. Truthfully, she felt in her heart that Severus wouldn't have joined the Death Eaters and Voldemort's cause if she had been a better understanding friend to him. Severus had always been lonely, even when they were kids playing together. It wasn't until his mother passed away did it seem Severus was pulling away from her even more. She tried to be there for him, but it was hard to do so growing up as they had been in separate Houses in school; not to mention her late husband and his friends tormented him whenever they saw him with her. Hell, even when he was alone, they tormented him. She closed her eyes and bitterly chuckled to herself. No wonder Severus had turned bitterer when she began dating James. But what he called her was unforgivable to her at the time.

Coming out of her thoughts, she looked up to see her old friend staring at her, his sharp black eyes having a bit of the shine they always held when she was in his presence. As she opened her mouth to speak, Severus beat her to it and said, "You have obviously showed up here for a reason, so I suggest you tell me what it is."

"You don't have to be so rude, Severus," Lily shot back, causing him to smirk a little before it completely disappeared from his face. She smiled a little herself and readjusted Harry as he squirmed in his sleep before settling back down. Looking the dark haired man square in the eye, she said, "I was hoping you would let us hide here for the time being. And I refuse to take 'no' for an answer, Severus Snape."

Severus raised an eyebrow at her, contemplating whether having not only Lily, but her baby in his home for Merlin knows how long was worth the risk of being caught by his Death Eater comrades or by Lord Voldemort himself. He was only a spy in their ranks for the old coot, as well as Lucius, but he wasn't sure he wanted to take the risk. But one look into the eyes of his beloved melted his resolve.

Sighing in defeat, he said, "Fine you both can stay here. Just let me set up the spare bedroom." And with that, he walked away towards the staircase that led upstairs. Lily couldn't help but smile as she watched him walk away. Looking down at Harry's sleeping face, she gave him a kiss on his unmarked forehead.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Everything will be alright now," she whispered to him, all the while hoping to believe her own words.


	3. Chapter 3

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 3: Tension and Stubbornness

Green eyes slowly opened, squinting as sunlight poured in through the window through the sheer grey curtains. Lily sat up and stretched before looking around the rather bare room. There were no pictures on the wall and there was one single desk over in the corner. It took her a minute to realize that this was Severus' old bedroom. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed as she remembered why she was here.

Voldemort found them and killed James to try to kill Harry. Even so she had escaped with her son and ran to Severus for help, knowing he could have easily turned her away but didn't. She felt she owed him so much for his act of kindness.

A soft giggle caught her attention and she turned to the side to see Harry sitting up and smiling at her. His eyes so much like hers shined as he reached for her. Smiling, Lily reached back and picked him up and placed him in her lap, kissing his forehead lovingly.

"Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep?" Lily said to Harry. Harry let out a squeal as he smiled at her. Giggling Lily gave him another kiss on the cheek before picking him up and standing off the bed. Holding her child, she headed downstairs as quietly as possible. As soon as her feet hit the landing, a smooth, deep voice startled her.

"I see you are awake," Severus said to her as he sipped his black coffee. She looked at him and saw that he was sitting in his armchair reading a rather thick book from his wall of assorted books and tomes. He was already dressed wearing a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black jeans. But what really caught her attention was that his long jet black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. She had never seen his hair like that before, even when she had begged him to let her do so when they were kids; he always refused.

"Uh, good morning, Severus," Lily said to him as he turned to look up at her. He looked her up and down before turning to look back at his book, mumbling, "Indeed."

Lily shifted awkwardly on her feet not sure what to do. Finally she opted to sit on the sofa, sitting Harry down next to her. She noticed him look around in wonder before his eyes settled on Severus. Severus must have felt the little one's gaze on him as well, for he looked up from his book again and turned to look at the toddler. There was practically a staring contest between them, much to Lily's amusement. It wasn't until Severus glared at Harry that she remembered her child looked like James. She looked at Harry to see if Severus' hard stare scared him, as he did tend to look scary, but was surprised to see her child smiling and reaching out towards the man.

Severus glared harder at the child as he shifted until he finally slid off the couch and onto the floor. The two adults watched Harry slowly crawl his way toward Severus, and then pull himself into standing using the long legs as leverage. The green eyes stared up at him as a big grin spread across his chubby face. Severus didn't know what to do as he never liked children, even more so that this one in particular was his dead enemy's spawn and willingly being near him. However he reminded himself this toddler was also a part of Lily, and pushing him away while she was watching would result in her yelling at him.

Cautiously, he bent forward and picked Harry up, hauling him by his underarms and sat him on his lap. Harry squealed in delight and clapped his little hands together before reaching up and grabbing hold of Severus' nose. Severus grimaced while Lily laughed softly, the sight warming her heart. The man pried the little hand from his face and reached over for the coaster on the side table, wandlessly transfiguring it into a stuffed black bunny rabbit and handing it to Harry. As the child played with it, the man turned his attention back to the woman sitting across from him.

"Lily, I'm going to be perfectly blunt here and I need you to listen," Severus said, his tone causing Lily to frown. She felt like he was about to say something she didn't want to hear.

"You cannot stay here. And quite frankly, I don't want you here either. I've already contacted the old man to let him know you are here and he will be here shortly. I am doing this for your own good, as well as for the good of your spawn. Besides, the last time I spoke to you, you stated you never wanted to see me again and told me to go to Hell, despite the fact that I've been there since fifth year at Hogwarts. Now when Dumbledore gets here, you can kindly leave," Severus said without missing a beat.

Lily could not believe Severus just said that to her. Her old friend was basically and quite literally throwing her out. And he had the nerve to do so after what she had told him had occurred last night! How dare the nerve of this man? In rage, she felt her face heat up and she began to yell.

"How dare you say that to me, Severus Snape?! How dare you?! I came to you in my hour of need and now you are just throwing us out?! And you dare to say to my face that you don't want me here? If it's for my own good, you would not have told _anyone_ I was here, not even Dumbledore! Yes, he seems like the most logical person to go to after what happened, but who's to say he won't put us in hiding just to be found again? I figured you would be the least likely person to be thought of for where Harry and I could stay. And now you are kicking us to the gutter? So much for helping an old friend. James was right about you, you greasy git! You are nothing but a-

"Hold your tongue, Lily Evans," Severus interrupted her sharply, his cold black eyes and tightened lips shutting her up instantly. She had never seen him look like that before, well at least not directed towards her. He then stood up with Harry and stalked toward her, roughly shoving the child in her arms.

"You will do well to shut up and listen closely. You are leaving here with Dumbledore and you are never to return. If you were really my friend, you would understand why I have done this. But to insult me and furthermore agree with that trash Potter on said insults, I will not tolerate. You didn't want me in your life, and now I can finally say I feel the same. Now take your spawn and leave, because truthfully I can't stand to even look at your face right now."

And with that he stalked off into the kitchen, but not before stopping and turning back to her where he spat, "Potter."

The red haired woman stared after the tall man, her eyes welling up with tears and her body trembling. Severus had never spoken to her like that before and has never hurt her feelings. But this wasn't the same Severus she knew as a little girl. This was a man who had faced many hardships, and she turned her back on him because of an insult that occurred in the heat of the moment. It wasn't until Harry made a noise and the sound of the Floo being used that she came back to reality. Blinking the tears away, she turned to see Albus Dumbledore step out of the fireplace dressed in bright green robes with red roses covering them.

"Ah Lily, it's so good to see that you and young Harry are alright," Dumbledore said as he walked over to her, brushing soot from the fireplace from his robes.

"Lovely to see you too, Professor," Lily replied.

"Yes and where is Severus? I expected him to be here?"

"I'm here, you old coot," Severus' deep voice came from the direction of the entryway of the kitchen. He still had a hard glower on his face as he leant against the entryway with his arms crossed. Harry reached for him, his rabbit held in his hand, but the man ignored him and Lily pushed her son's arms down.

"Severus my boy, you seem to be doing well. Thank you for taking Lily in last night," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling in the way the Prince heir absolutely hated. Rolling his eyes, he answered, "Whatever. Now just take them and get out. You know for a fact you aren't wanted here."

"No, Harry and I are staying here, whether you like it or not Severus," Lily defiantly declared, glaring at the dark haired man. Her glare was returned with more force, enough so to shake her, but she stubbornly held her ground. It was apparent that neither of them were going to budge from their decision for Lily to stay or be thrown out.

Dumbledore looked back and forth between the former friends. The tension was palpable between them, so much so that even Harry was looking uncomfortable. The wise man knew that they were both too stubborn to compromise at this point, especially seeing as they had an argument of some sort before he arrived. Coming to a decision, Dumbledore spoke up, saying, "Alright then, Lily and Harry will stay here for the time being."

"What?" Severus hissed in annoyance as Lily smiled in triumph.

"They will stay here in hiding with you until further notice, so I expect you take good care of them Severus. After all, I'm sure you can handle it with your duties as a spy for the Order. I will check in when I can to make sure everything is running smoothly. Besides, none of Voldemort's followers would dare search here for them. Now you all behave and get along. Goodbye for now," the old wizard said before stepping back into the fireplace. Throwing the Floo Powder down, he called, "Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts!" And in a flash of green flames, he was gone.

Lily turned to look back at Severus to see him grumbling to himself. Hesitantly, she stepped toward him as he shut his eyes tightly and held the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"Severus," she started but Severus held up his other hand, instantly silencing her. This was not at all how he wanted his morning to go.

"Sevus!" Harry suddenly exclaimed, a happy smile on his face. Both adults looked at the toddler in his mother's arms as he giggled and hugged his rabbit to him. "Sevus, Sevus, Sevus!"

Severus' eye twitched at the pronunciation of his name while Lily bit back a smile. Shaking his head, he walked back into the kitchen, letting Lily know he would start on breakfast. However, the slamming of pans and kitchen cupboard doors let her know that the man was still angry with her. Even so, she had to smile knowing that Severus didn't refuse Dumbledore on his insistence that she and Harry stay at Spinner's End. Hopefully she and Severus could fix their broken relationship. Well, if there was any of it left to fix.

 **Author's Note: Thank you for all of the reviews and positive feedback I have received for this story so far! I hope you all continue to enjoy it as it goes on!**


	4. Chapter 4

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 4: Starting Over

It had been two weeks since Lily and Harry began living with Severus at Spinner's End. And during that time, the tension between the two adults began to ease a little. Severus would say no more than about three sentences to her a day, but Lily believed that she could make progress with him today. She'd make him have a conversation with her today. And she knew just the way to go about it.

Harry had taken an extreme liking to the man, much to Snape's dismay. But Lily figured that if Severus was involved with Harry, it would be easier for him to speak; or at the very least show some affection. Yes, she'd be using her son to bait her old friend into talking to her, but she was desperate to talk to the Potions Master properly. No yelling, no insulting, no jabbing at areas to cause pain or hurt feelings. Just a proper one on one conversation like they had as children.

As Lily stood at the stove preparing schnitzel with noodles for lunch, she smiled as Harry sat on the floor and banged on a pot with a wooden spoon. Not even five minutes later, the Floo sounded letting her know Severus was home.

"Lily, would you kindly stop your child from beating my pot?" Severus asked as he walked into the kitchen. Lily rolled her eyes while saying, "Be grateful it's not one of your cauldrons."

"Sevus!" Harry exclaimed, waving at the tall man with the spoon in his hand. Severus made a grunting noise before sitting at the kitchen table and opened up the Daily Prophet. On the cover was a picture of James Potter, as the Prophet was announcing the ending of the mourning of the man who died to protect his wife and only child from the Dark Lord. Of course they still didn't know where the wife and child were, but it was apparent that they were still alive. Lily had already mourned the loss of her husband, but now she was going to focus on her son and rekindling her friendship with Severus.

Lily was placing lunch on plates and fixing Harry a bowl of mashed potatoes (he seemed to be on a kick for them lately) with carrot sticks when the Floo sounded again, and the sound of a cane tapping the floor could be heard as it got nearer the kitchen. None other than Lucius Malfoy stepped in with his one year old son Draco in his arm, little grey eyes looking around curiously until they landed on the dark haired man.

"Sevvy!" Draco exclaimed happily, squirming in his father's arms to be let down. Lucius did so and watched his child toddle over to his best friend, a warm smile on his face. Lily was surprised to see a small but genuine smile on Severus' face as he picked the little blond up and placed him on his lap. Draco giggled and snuggled into the Potion Master's chest, playing with the buttons on his shirt.

Lucius turned to Lily and smiled, saying, "Hello, Lily. I must say, you look well."

"Hello Lucius. And thank you. Severus went out and bought some clothes for Harry and me and went shopping at the market," Lily answered back. The blond man nodded and stepped over to the red haired lady. Pleased with what he saw she had made, he asked if it would be alright for him and Draco to stay for lunch, even though Draco had already eaten. Lily agreed and made another plate before everyone was settled at the table eating. Harry sat on Lily's lap eating a carrot stick as he watched the other little boy sitting on Severus' lap.

A frown appeared on his face and he let out a whine drawing his mother's attention. Seeing the frown marring her baby's face, she asked, "What's wrong sweetheart? Does your tummy hurt?"

Shaking his head, he pointed at the dark haired man and said, "Sevus."

Lucius chuckled and said, "It looks like you have an admirer, Severus."

"Shut up, Lucius. I do well with just seeing Draco every week. I don't need another one up under me every day," Severus said scowling at the other man. Draco sensed the irritation from his godfather, so he reached for his father to sit on his lap instead. As soon as he was out of Severus' lap, Harry reached across the table toward the man.

"Sevus! Wan' Sevus!" he whined loudly, little tears beginning to form in his green eyes. The adults' eyes widened in surprise before Lily and Lucius looked over at Severus expectantly. Severus glared and looked Harry in the face before curtly saying, "No."

Harry's bottom lip trembled and his tears spilled over before he let out a loud wail. His crying broke his mother's heart and made Severus uncomfortable. He hadn't meant to make the child cry, not at all. He just didn't want to be involved as far as Potter's spawn went. Looking over at his best friend, he was surprised to see him glowering at him.

"Severus, hold the child. He wants you and obviously wants to be close to you. Just look at him," Lucius said before he and Severus turned back toward Lily and her son. She was trying to calm him down with kisses and sweet words, but Harry would not be consoled. He kept reaching toward Severus, calling out to him desperately. The sight made Severus' heart clench, even though he didn't show it. Sighing in defeat, he stood up and walked over to Lily before gently taking Harry out of her arms. Holding the toddler to him, he laid the wailing child's head to his shoulder and started to shush him softly, rubbing his back and rocking him a bit. It wasn't long before Harry stopped crying and looked the man in his black eyes. Everyone stayed still as the two looked at each other, not daring to move. Harry gazed at the man before giving him a toothy grin. Wrapping his little arms around the man's neck, he giggled and softly said, "Sevus."

Severus blushed a little before clearing his throat and sitting back down. Draco had frowned at the dark haired boy as he cried in his godfather's arms, but smiled when he decided that he was okay with sharing his Uncle Sevvy. But no one else!

Lily's eyes had teared up a bit herself at seeing her son and old friend in their moment. Composing herself and wiping her eyes quickly, she cleaned up the table and set to making tea for herself and the men. Once it was made, she poured the tea into cups and carried them on a tray to the living room where the other four had settled. She was happy to see Severus still holding Harry, even though her son was smiling and giggling with Draco. After the tea was served, she sat down and listened to Lucius and Severus talk, putting in her fill every now and then. Before long, an hour had past and Lucius and Draco had to go home. Harry and Draco hugged before the little blond was picked up by his father.

"I'll see you all again another time. And don't forget about the Order meeting next week, Severus. Malfoy Manor!" Lucius said as he stepped in the fireplace, and he and Draco Flooed away in the green flames.

Silence followed after that as Lily thought of something to say to Severus. She opened her mouth to say something when he spoke first, saying, "Look Lily, I want to apologize for the way I acted towards you and Harry these past three weeks. It was wrong of me."

Shaking her head, Lily replied, "No, Severus, let me apologize. I did show up here unexpectedly and forced you to give us refuge. I behaved horribly the other day and was a complete bitch. And for that, I am sorry."

"Lily-

"I insist. And yes, you behaved horribly too, but that was my fault. I've turned your life upside down by appearing back in your life again and with a baby no less. But Severus, the one thing I want the most right now is to be your friend again."

Severus stared at her in astonishment, not knowing what to say. He hadn't been expecting all of that. But he had to give her credit for owning up to what she did, and he respected that. In truth he also wanted to rekindle his friendship with Lily, but when she left his side to be on the arm of his enemy, his world shattered worse than when his mother died. He knew being friends with the red haired woman before him was going to be no walk in the park, but looking into her beautiful bright green eyes at the moment, he knew it would be worth it.

"I hope you know being friends again won't be easy," he said, his trademark Snape smirk in place.

Lily smiled and nodded, saying, "I know Sev, I know. I'm just happy that we are starting over."

Severus gave her a small smile before saying, "And for your sake, I will try to get along with and spend time with your spawn, I mean son. He may be my enemy's, but he's also yours."

"Thank you, Sev," Lily said.

The two adults continued to smile at each other, happy that they were going to be friends again. And Lily was right; Harry was her way back to Severus. The boy's affections for the man helped Severus make the decision to start over with her and give helping with Harry a try.

"My Sevvy!" Harry suddenly exclaimed, clapping his hands happily while smiling up at Severus. Severus and Lily laughed out loud at the innocent declaration while Harry giggled and leaned back against the man's chest. Now that she and Severus were starting over, maybe everything would go back to as normal as life could be at the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 5: Wish Upon a Snowflake

A month had passed and Christmas was right around the corner. It was snowing outside, a white blanket covering the ground. Lily was busy making the inside of Severus' house look festive since he would not have the outside decorated, not even a wreath on the door. Lily smiled a little as she thought back to when she had tried to persuade him to let her decorate the outside.

 _"_ _Oh, please Sev! Please let me decorate the outside!" Lily begged as she held the garland that had been put away in the basement for many years, along with the rest of the Christmas decorations the Snape household held. None of it had been used since Eileen Prince-Snape's passing, and Lily wanted to decorate to not only bring the Christmas spirit, but to in a way commemorate her friend's late mother._

 _Severus sighed and looked up from his cauldron, slightly (but not really) annoyed at Lily. She was so persistent to make the outside of his home look like all the other Muggle homes in the area. That was mostly done for households that had children. And other than Harry, there were no other children in his home. Placing a magical shield over the cauldron, Severus said, "I said 'no', Lily. I'm already letting you make the inside of my home look like the bloody North Pole. And therefore, I say that that is enough. Now as I have said before, no decorations outside."_

 _Lily frowned before pressing on with, "What about a Christmas wreath to hang on the door, at least?"_

 _"_ _Not even a wreath, Evans. The inside and that is it. Now if you'll excuse me, I've been asked to go pick out a Christmas tree," Severus said and walked around Lily, leaving his potion to brew for two hours as he left his Potions Room._

 _Lily followed him and watched as he put on his robes before helping Harry to wrap up warmly. Lily didn't mind him taking her son with her, as she liked that Severus was bonding more with him. She watched him place Glamour charms on Harry's face to make him have blue eyes and features similar to the man's own. Lily had to admit, Harry looked so cute resembling Severus._

 _Severus picked the toddler up before saying, "We'll be back soon, Lily. Are you ready to look for a tree, Harry?"_

 _"_ _Tee!" Harry said happily, causing Severus to chuckle a little before the two of them stepped outside in the cold and snow to go search for the perfect tree._

Lily sighed before going back to hanging up garland and pretty red bows. She could have done everything at once using her wand, but she preferred to do everything by hand. James had told her last year when Harry was just four months old, almost five, that only a Muggle would decorate for Christmas by hand and that it was unbefitting of anyone who possessed magic. In other words, no self-respecting wizard would do anything by hand unless it was absolutely necessary. And to him, hanging decorations was not something that should be done without magic. This had offended Lily as she was Muggleborn and loved doing things by hand. She had yelled at him for it and told him that in case he had forgotten, she was raised by Muggles because she was Muggleborn. She also told him that she was going to be teaching their son to do things the Muggle way, as it was obvious he was going to teach Harry all things magic. It didn't matter anymore; James was dead and no longer had any say in how to raise Harry.

She wondered if Harry even remembered his father. The boy hadn't so much as given any indication that he remembered or missed James. In fact, he hadn't even asked where daddy was. Harry was up under Severus more times than not, and it made Lily wonder if Harry was seeing or thinking that Severus was his father. And with Severus being more comfortable with her son every day, it wouldn't be hard for Harry to think that the tall man was his father.

Lily couldn't explain it, but that thought made her stomach flutter a bit. Why would thinking Severus being Harry's new dad make her stomach flutter? Maybe she was just hungry and needed to have a snack. Deciding to make gingerbread cookies for a snack, she finished hanging garland on the wall before wrapping what was left around the Christmas tree that she decorated with Harry (and to some extent Severus) before heading to the kitchen. After finding all of the ingredients for the cookies, including the cookie cutter Eileen used that was hidden in the bottom of a drawer, Lily set to work. While rolling out the cookie dough, she heard the Floo sound followed by little giggles.

"Lily?" Severus' voice rang through the house.

"In here, Severus!" Lily responded.

The sound of boots clunking against the floor made their way to the kitchen and then Severus appeared, Harry resting on his hip. Harry's face lit up at the sight of his mother and he held his tiny arms out to her.

"Mommy!" the toddler said, making his mother smile. Severus handed him off to her and let a small smile appear on his face at the sight of the other two intereacting. Lily smothered Harry's face with kisses as he laughed before planting one big one on his cheek, making him squeal in delight. Sitting him on the counter, she said, "How is my baby?" Harry smiled before looking at what his mother had been doing. Seeing the dough he reached for it, but his little hand was stopped by his mother.

"You can't have any just yet, sweetie. You have to wait until the cookies are cut out and baked," Lily said as if Harry understood. Then again, Harry seemed to be smarter than the average one year old, so maybe he did. She watched as he frowned before looking at the man standing near them. Severus raised an eyebrow at him in return, silently telling him to wait. Harry made a bit of a whining noise before looking back at his mother with pleading green eyes. Lily chuckled and gave him a kiss on the nose before picking him up and handing him off to Severus again, saying, "Go have fun with Sev, okay? The gingerbread cookies will be ready soon."

Severus held Harry and quietly suggested that they go brew a potion together. Harry seemed happy to do so and Lily watched them walk out of the kitchen together, a smile on her face. She had originally been hesitant about Severus having Harry with him while he was brewing, but her friend had reassured her that everything would be fine. And so far, everything has been; Lily also liked to think of it as another bonding experience for the two, especially for the Prince heir.

When it came to Severus, Lily could say so many things about him. Everything from the good to the bad about the man, she could name them all. But she believed no one knew him like she did. She had once believed he had gone bad for good, but if her sleepless nights and spilled tears were any indication that she didn't fully believe that, then she didn't know what was. Severus' personality pros definitely outweighed his cons, and it was these pros that kept Lily by the man's side. If she was honest, her best friend was charming and handsome in his own way. She had never told anyone except her mother this, but she had once had a crush on Severus. It was when they were thirteen and were still spending time together at Hogwarts. It was actually around Christmas when they had gone home that she realized it. She and Severus had been playing out in the snow and at one point Severus had been standing a few feet away from her watching the snow fall from the sky. Watching the snow fall around him and land in his hair made him look beautiful in Lily's eyes. She felt so lucky to have him as her best friend and the sight made her heart sing. In fact, it had been beating so fast in her chest she became short of breath and thought she was having a bit of a panick attack. When she told her mother later that same evening, her mother told her that that was some of the signs of loving someone. She had thought she had meant love as in having love for others, but now that she was twenty-one, she wasn't so sure anymore. That hadn't happened since then, not even with James.

Afraid of the confusion her mind was suddenly in, she finished rolling the dough, then cut out the cookies and placed them in the oven on a cookie sheet. Setting the timer she cleaned up and washed her hands before looking out the window at the falling snow. Lily wanted Harry to play in the snow a bit, since he didn't get to really experience it last year. Making up her mind she rushed to the Potions Room and found Harry and Severus looking into a cauldron with a dark blue potion inside.

"What are you brewing this time?" she asked as she walked closer.

"A blueberry flavored potion to ward off the flu. I just had the thought that Harry should be playing in the snow but he is liable to become ill if he stays outside too long. Therefore, I made this so that he can take it later just in case," Severus said while giving it one more stir before waving his wand over it to encase it so it could finish seeping on its own.

Lily couldn't believe that Severus had the exact same thought that she had been having just minutes ago. Smiling she told him that that was what she was there to suggest after the cookies were done. Severus smiled as he followed her out of the Potions Room with Harry, listening to her talk animatedly. He loved seeing her like this, as it made him think of when things were well between them years ago. And her green eyes were shining brightly, making his heart flutter in his chest.

Was he still in love with Lily? Absolutely. But Severus also knew better than to ever tell her that. She was a widow and would possibly never marry again, or if she did love again, it wouldn't be him; that was for certain. They talked in the living room in front of the fire place while watching Harry play in the floor with his bunny rabbit and stuffed snow owl that Lily had bought him a week ago. Pretty soon the timer went off and Lily had the gingerbread cookies out of the oven and cooling on the stove. Severus and Lily decided now was the perfect time to take Harry outside in the snow. Ten minutes later, they were all bundled up and stepping into Severus' backyard.

Severus made sure to throw up wards so no one, Muggle or wizard, could look and see the three of them. As soon as Lily set Harry down in the snow, the boy stumbled forward a few steps before flopping down into the snow face first. Lily rushed to make sure he was okay, only to see her son laughing happily. She ended up laughing with him and helped him back on his feet. She noticed Severus walk past them and further into his backyard before he knelt down and made a snowball, then start rolling it along the ground, letting it get bigger and bigger until a nice sized snowball was sitting upon the snow covered ground.

"Let's make a snowman together, Harry," Severus said with a smile on his face. Harry squealed and started to toddle his way to his favorite person. Lily followed him slowly and soon the three of them were building the snowman together. Harry kept patting snow on the base, but it was fine. Severus picked him up and let him put a hat he had conjured up on the snowman's head, and they all stood back to look at their masterpiece.

"Do you like it, Harry?" Severus asked the child, in which Harry responded with a smile while clapping his hands.

"Snow!" Harry exclaimed as he looked at the snowflakes falling from the sky. Lily grinned and said, "Yes, it's snow. You know, your grandmother once said that if you wish upon a snowflake, your wish will come true."

Severus smiled as he also recalled the memory of Mrs. Evans telling them that. At the time he had secretly made a wish upon a snowflake for true love. A childish wish it was, but it was all in good fun. Besides, reality made it pretty clear that wishes don't come true, no matter how hard you wish. Tuning back in to Lily's conversation with her son, he heard her ask him what his wish upon a snowflake was. Neither of them was expecting the answer that Harry so honestly gave.

"Daddy Sevvy!" Harry happily said as he looked over at the dark haired man, a sweet smile on his face. Lily and Severus both stared at the child wide eyed before looking at each other, their faces turning red. Awkward was probably the perfect word to describe the atmosphere at the moment. Severus cleared his throat and suggested they go back inside before turning and leaving the other two as he headed back into his home.

Lily couldn't will away the blush on her cheeks or the fast beating of her heart. Harry's wish was to have Severus as his father? To have the one year old insinuating something like that was shocking. Lily decided to wave it off and headed inside with Harry in her arms, deciding that snowflake wishes were silly. But even so, the thought of Severus being Harry's father wouldn't leave her mind, nor would the man himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 6: Kisses under the Mistletoe

It was Christmas Eve and Lily and Harry were wrapping some last minute presents for Severus. The man was not present in the house at the moment, so it was easy to take their time to carefully wrap and place the presents under the tree. Severus had already got his Christmas gift shopping done a few days earlier and there were presents under the Christmas tree already for Harry. Lily was a little disappointed that she didn't spot a single present under the tree for her from the man, but decided to let the matter pass. She still hoped there was a present for her.

"Sock," Harry said as he looked up at the three stockings hanging over the fireplace. Lily giggled and said, "It's a stocking, darling. Father Christmas will put little goodies in it for you for being such a good boy."

Harry grinned before clapping happily, then he grabbed the green wrapping paper and pulled it off of the role as he handed it to his mother. The mother thanked her son as she took it and used a pair of scissors she found to cut out the amount she needed to wrap Severus' present from her. She had gotten him an assortment of buttonup shirts, ranging in colors from green to blue to grey and white. She refused to get any black since her friend seemed to live in that color. She even went as far as it get baby blue. The red haired lady giggled as she thought of the look that would appear on his face at the light colors.

After wrapping the gift and placing a bright red bow on top, she placed it underneath the tree and turned back only to see Harry with a silver bow on top of his head. Laughing she picked him up and placed him on her lap, pressing kisses all over his face.

"Are you my present this year, Harry?" Lily asked the toddler. Harry's bright green eyes shone as he nodded. The woman laughed and gave him another kiss before she suggested they clean up and get started on dinner. The two of them cleaned up the bows and wrapping paper (Harry immediately grabbed the bag of bows) and carried them to the hall closet that held the coats. After placing them in there and closing the door, Lily picked up her son and carried him into the kitchen.

The kitchen had been stocked ever since Lily and Harry became inhabitants of Severus' home, so making dinner was a synch. Lily decided to start on a lamb and potato casserole with a side of lemon garlic brussel sprouts and homemade bread rolls. For dessert, she decided to make Severus's favorite, her mother's homemade lemon meringue pie. She got all of the needed ingredients for both courses and set to work on the pie first. She had just placed the pie in the oven and started working on the casserole when the Floo sounded.

"Lily? Are you here?" a familiar voice rang through. Lily's eyes widened and she rushed from the kitchen and back into the living room to see Minerva McGonagall peering in through the green flames.

"Professor McGonagall! Please, come through," Lily said as a wide smile grew on her face. Minerva stepped through and dusted the soot from her robes as the green flames died down. When she was done she held her arms open for her former student to embrace her in a hug. The two women hugged, happy to see each other after so long. Pulling away Lily said, "Oh, it's so good to see you again, Professor."

Minerva smiled and told her to call her by her first name before saying it was good to see the red haired woman again as well. The older woman looked around and a look of surprise washed over her face. Giving a nod of approval, she said, "Mr. Snape sure knows how to be fesive during the holidays."

Lily chuckled a little and said, "Actually it was me who made this place look the way it does. It is rather bleak on its own, but it has always been that way."

A look of sadness crossed over Lily's face, causing Minerva to frown slightly. She had known about Severus' home life and had often on Lily's behalf talked with Albus about possibly allowing the boy to stay with her in her private quarters. She did this especially when Eileen had died and it became apparent that Severus was being swept up into the crowd of Slytherin students who were adamant about the Dark Arts and You-Know-Who. But no matter how hard she fought with the Headmaster and try to persuade him, he refused.

"Mommy!" Harry's voice called from the kitchen. Lily excused herself and went back into the kitchen to see what her son was up to. The Deputy Headmistress followed her and laughed at the sight. Harry had somehow gotten flour all over himself and looked very disgruntled about it. Lily shook her head in amusement and picked her son up, holding him away from her body as to not get any of the white substance on herself.

"I'm sorry Minerva, but could you give me a few minutes? I'm not sure how Harry managed to do this, but I need to go get him cleaned up. And could you also watch the pie in the oven? It should be ready in a few minutes," Lily said already on her way out of the kitchen. Minerva nodded with a smile on her face. While Lily was upstairs cleaning her child, Minerva took it upon herself to clean Severus' kitchen.

She also noticed what Lily had been planning to cook and was delighted to see that she was going to make the lamb and potato casserole that she had taught her. Immediately deciding to help the young woman out, she took off her robes, leaving her in her long green dress, then she rolled up her sleeves and set to chopping the potatoes and slicing the lamb. Once everything was cut and chopped and placed in the dish for it to sit in, she took the pie (which was done perfectly) out of the oven and placed the casserole in. Minerva then took the whipped cream Lily had made for the top of the lemon meringue pie and placed it on top of the sweet dessert before taking her wand and lightly torching the top. She had just placed the pie on the counter next to the fridge when Lily and Harry entered the kitchen once again.

"Oh, did you make the casserole already? And you cleaned up too. You didn't have to do that," Lily said as she looked around. The older woman waved her off and told her it was no trouble. Lily nodded before asking her if she wouldn't mind watching Harry while she cooked the brussel sprouts. Minerva had taken Harry and was watching him play in the living room when the front door opened and the owner of the house stepped inside, snowflakes in his long black hair.

Severus gave a sigh of relief from being back inside in the warmth, glad he didn't need to be out in the cold anymore. He looked over and was surprised to see Minerva McGonagall, though it never showed on his stoic face. Giving her a nod, he said, "Good afternoon, Minverva."

"Daddy Sevvy!" Harry exclaimed already crawling his way toward the tall man. Minerva's eyes widened at what the little boy had declared. She watched Severus pick up the toddler and give him a fond smile as Harry gave him a hug, wondering when Severus had become so affectionate, especially to children. She noticed Lily exit the kitchen and watch the scene with a smile.

Severus looked over at the red haired woman, giving her a nod. Lily smiled wider and waved in return. Minerva, who had seen the exchange, stood and walked over to her former House student. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she whispered, "Lily, can I talk to you?"

Noticing the tone the other woman was using, Lily knew she could not refuse, not that she would have. Nodding, she and Minerva walked back into the kitchen to have a bit of privacy. Throwing up a privacy ward, Minerva began her questioning.

"Lily, why is Harry calling Severus 'daddy'? And why are you allowing it?" Minerva said a serious look on her face.

Lily blinked before answering, "Well, a few days ago we were all outside letting Harry play in the snow, and I told him to make a wish upon a snowflake. My mother always said that if you wish on a snowflake, it will come true. It is childish really, but I wanted Harry to experience it the way Sev and I had. When I asked him what his wish was, he said 'Daddy Sevvy'. Believe me, it was surprising to Sev and I too, but Severus doesn't seem to mind. In fact, Harry took an immediate liking to him when we first got here and has been attached to him ever since."

"Lily, your husband has only just been killed over a month ago and you are already moving on to another man. And I don't understand how you can allow Harry to call Severus that."

"Minerva, Harry isn't hurting anybody by calling him 'daddy'. And if Severus doesn't care, then it shouldn't matter. And Severus and I are not in a relationship. We've just been able to rekindle our friendship, so for you to say something like that is rude. And I know what you must also be thinking. He was James' enemy in school, but I've known Severus longer so even if I did move on and chose Sev, it wouldn't matter what James thought because he is dead. And besides, Severus is much more than what you and everyone else gives him credit for. You don't know him like I do and always have. In fact, I think Severus would make a great surrogate father for Harry."

As Lily took in a breath to calm herself, Minerva noticed the same fiery spirit Lily had possessed when she was younger and whenever she would defend her best friend against anyone, including her own Housemates. Minerva had also noticed at one point that Lily had seemed to have fallen for the young man, and was wondering if that was the case again. It wasn't as obvious as it was when she was still in school, but the older woman had a feeling.

"Lily, do you like Mr. Snape?" Minerva boldly asked. Lily looked confused before saying, "Of course I do, he is my best friend after all."

Minerva shook her head and said, "No, I mean, are you in love with him?"

Green eyes widened at the question. As innocent as it was, it was also very profound. Lily knew she did love Severus, as they grew up together and were friends. But being _in love_ with him, she hadn't thought about it and truthfully didn't know. She had once wanted to marry him many years ago when she had a crush on him, but she wasn't so sure now.

Severus did not seem like the type to openly declare his love to anyone, and definitely did not seem the type to marry. She had often thought of whom the Prince heir would marry, but she couldn't see him with anyone but herself, and she had chosen James. Severus was actually very sweet and handsome in his own way. He wasn't publically affectionate or really affectionate in general, but he had a level of affectionate understanding that couldn't be matched, not even with physical affection. It was one of the reasons why she never had to demand he hug her when they were children. Truthfully, there were times she wondered what life would have been like if she was able to save Severus from the influence of the Slytherins and they had ended up together. And recently, just thinking about her friend made her heart beat wildly, especially when she thought of how he was with Harry. There were actually times when Harry was asleep at night and it was just the two adults up, they would talk and Severus would have a tender gaze upon her. Lily could swear that she saw what was possibly love in his black orbs. And just seeing him everyday made her smile and want to continue to be by his side.

 _"_ _You know Lily, you will know when you found your soulmate. The one you are meant to love will cause your heart to beat in a fast rhythm, for you to lose your breath, and will make you want to stay by their side forever, no matter what,"_ Mrs. Evan's voice rang through her head. Lily realized that she didn't experience any of that with James, not even once. But with Severus, she had been experiencing it since she was thirteen.

Was she in love with Sev? She wasn't sure, at least not completely, but it seemed like the signs were telling her she was. Looking back at Minerva she finally answered, "I don't know."

Minerva nodded in understanding before dropping the ward. Grabbing her robes, she turned to exit the kitchen and walked back into the living room. Lily followed and watched her pull out her wand and made three more presents appear underneath the Christmas tree. She waved it again before putting her robes back on and tucking her wand away.

"Well I had best be off. I have some business to attend to. Until next time, Lily, Severus, Harry," Minerva said before grabbing some Floo powder. Stepping into the fireplace, she called out 'McGonagall's Office, Hogwarts' before dropping the powder and disappearing in the green flames. Once they died down, Severus turned to Lily and asked her what Minerva wanted. Lily waved off the question and announced dinner would be ready soon, so for him and Harry to go wash up. Five minutes later, the casserole was out of the oven and Lily, Severus and Harry were seated around the kitchen table having dinner.

An hour later, Lily was placing cookies and milk on the mantle above the fireplace while Severus and Harry were looking out of the window watching the snow fall into the night. Lily smiled and said, "Harry sweetheart, you will have to go to bed soon."

Harry turned to look at his mother with a frown on his face. He didn't want to sleep; he wanted to stay up with his Daddy Sevvy. Severus chuckled before telling him that if he didn't go to bed, Father Christmas wouldn't bring him any presents and goodies. Harry looked at the stocking hanging over the fireplace before pointing to it and saying, "Sock."

Severus corrected him before giving him a hug, telling him to have pleasant dreams of fairies and sugarplums. Harry smiled while reciprocating the hug, nodding in possible understanding. Lily took her son and headed up the stairs to get the boy ready for bed. While she was gone, Severus walked over to the fireplace and looked into the burning flames, his arm resting on the mantle. His thoughts began to wander, revolving around Lily and Harry.

The man had to admit that his life had become much more pleasant (if you could call being a spy for the Order and Voldemort pleasant) ever since Lily and Harry arrived. And truthfully he enjoyed having them around. He had found that he liked helping to take care of Harry and was internally pleased when the child had called him 'daddy'. Oh how he wished he could really be the little boy's real father. He loved the boy, much to his surprise, and would protect him as if he were his own. And not just him, but his mother as well.

Lily, oh Lily; Lily was everything Severus ever dreamed of and wanted in a woman. He had known ever since he was eleven that Lily was the one for him, and he messed up the moment he called her a Mudblood and joined the Death Eaters. He would forever curse the day he willingly received the Dark Mark. It was just another painful reminder of the woman he lost to his mortal enemy. Even now with Potter dead, Lily was still out of reach for him. He just had to face facts that his one sided love for Lily would never be reciprocated.

Severus sighed in defeat and continued to stare into the fire, not noticing that the object of his thoughts had returned downstairs. Lily had watched an array of emotions cross over her friend's face, but seeing the final emotion of sadness wash over his features and remain made her heart clench painfully. Silently walking over to him, she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Severus turned to look at her and was surprised when she pulled him into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around his neck. Her sweet smell filled his nose and her touch made his heart beat faster. The man had never hugged Lily before, so he was surprised when his arms encircled her waist and held her just as close.

The two adults stood there hugging for a while, both refusing to let go. Lily finally pulled away enough to look Severus in the eye, though she never let go of him. This time, she knew what she was seeing in his dark eyes.

Love, so much love and it was all directed towards her. She almost started crying at the amount she saw. Severus loved her and she realized he always had. It was why he took her abandoning him so hard, why he wouldn't care what anyone thought about them being seen together, why he went out of his way to please her. This time, tears did well up in her eyes and spill over onto her cheeks.

"Oh Sev," Lily softly said, her hand gently raking through his soft hair. Severus took a hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks, even stopping some more from spilling from her gorgeous green eyes. He wanted to tell her, he wanted to tell her so bad. He knew that it probably wouldn't change anything, but he needed her to know. Lily needed to know how he really felt, no matter what happened next.

Taking a deep breath, Severus finally whispered, "I love you, Lily."

Gasping, Lily stared wide-eyed at Severus as they continued to hold each other. She should say something; she wanted to say something, anything! Before she could a tinkling sound was heard above their heads. Looking up, they both saw a large sprig of mistletoe hanging over their heads. Lily realized that must have been Minerva's doing. Looking back down at Severus, she saw him staring at her intently, asking a silent question. She realized he was asking for permission to kiss her.

Smiling, Lily leaned into the Prince heir and gently pressed her lips against his. Her eyes were closed so she felt it when Severus stiffened. However, he relaxed and reciprocated the kiss. Their lips gently moved against each other, the kisses seeming almost surreal. Pulling apart they gazed at each other, foreheads resting against each other. Severus couldn't believe it, he had not only told the love of his life how he really felt, but he was standing in front of the fireplace kissing her. Sure it may have only been because of the mistletoe, but he would take it.

Taking the initiative this time, Severus kissed Lily again so much sweeter than Lily could ever imagine. None of her kisses with James could ever compare to Sev's kisses. In fact, each kiss made her heart flutter and made her feel like she was floating. And the two continued to stand there snogging, even when the mistletoe disappeared above them.

 **Author's Note: To all of my wonderful readers and reviewers, thank you so much for all of your kind reviews and support! Reading your reviews makes me smile and want to continue writing. I hope that you all continue to enjoy this story as it goes on!**


	7. Chapter 7

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 7: Happy Christmas, my Love

Severus was sleeping peacefully when he felt a slight poke on his left cheek. He rubbed his cheek before snuggling deeper into his pillow, when the poking started again. A giggle met his ear before he was once again poked in the cheek. Finally giving into to wakefulness, he opened his eyes and came face to face with sparkling green eyes on a small, chubby face.

Harry smiled brightly when he saw that the man was awake. He then moved closer to Severus before laying down next to him, looking him in his black eyes. Severus smiled softly before pulling the toddler close and giving a kiss to his forehead.

"Good morning, Harry. Happy Christmas," the man said, his deep baritone voice rather soft that morning. Harry gave a squeal as Severus sat up, tossing the boy in the air before catching him safely. Severus sat Harry on his lap before saying, "Let's go get breakfast ready for your mummy. I imagine she's not up yet."

Severus was used to Harry finding his way into his room early in the morning and waking him up. The first time it had happened, he had stared at the child in confusion and irritation while Lily had burst into the room in a frantic state, asking him if he had seen Harry before realizing the child was sitting on his chest. Holding Harry close, he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom where he proceeded to brush his teeth and comb his hair. He had to keep Harry from pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth before he left the bathroom. Silently passing by the room in which Lily was still sleeping, he peered inside and smiled warmly at the woman still sleeping peacefully, her red hair spread out all over the pillow. Severus proceeded down the stairs and into the kitchen, deciding to ignore the tree and presents for the time being; those could wait until Lily arrived.

Severus set to making waffles, fried eggs, and sausage with warm syrup and freshly squeezed orange juice. He had just handed Harry a cooled off piece of sausage when he heard footsteps enter the kitchen. He turned and saw Lily rubbing her eyes and yawning sleepily as she stood in her light pink night gown that stopped just above her ankles and the sleeves went down to her wrists. Her red hair was sticking up a bit, but she never looked more beautiful to Severus.

"Happy Christmas, Lily," Severus said, walking over to her with Harry in his arms.

"Happy Christmas, Sev," Lily said with a slight blush on her face. The events of last night came flooding back to her and she was suddenly embarrassed. She had kissed her best friend, and then had a snogging session with him in front of the fireplace! She blamed the mistletoe; under no regular circumstances would she have done that. But if she thought about it, she didn't mind and really liked it. In fact, she felt as if her lips fit perfectly with the Potion Master's own. Shaking her head slightly, she turned her attention to her son who was done eating his piece of sasage. She smiled and took him from Severus, saying, "Good morning, my love. Happy Christmas!"

Harry smiled and giggled as his mother hugged him tightly. Severus smiled before suggesting they eat, and then they could open presents.

The three of them ate Severus' delicious breakfast, then they went into the living room to sit in the floor by the Christmas tree. Lily placed Harry in her lap as Severus pulled a silver and green wrapped present out from under the tree.

"This one is from Lucius for Harry," Severus said as he passed it over to Lily. She took the present and sat it in front of her for Harry to open. Encouraging him to open it, she and Severus watched Harry tap and tear at the present until it was finally open, silver and green wrapping paper tossed everywhere. Lily helped to open the box and allowed her son to reach inside and pull out whatever was in the box. Both she and Severus were surprised to see Harry pull out a large brown and green stuffed snake that moved and hissed on its own. Harry squealed and laughed as the snake's stuffed tongue tapped and supposedly licked his little face. He hugged the head of his new stuffed animal close as he looked up at his mother, green eyes shining.

Lily laughed softly before looking over at her best friend, saying, "I believe that Lucius is trying to turn my son into a Slytherin early."

Severus chuckled and replied, "Well if you ask me, Harry seems to be right on track to being a perfect candidate for the House of Salazar Slytherin in the next ten years. Remind me to thank Lucuius."

Lily knew her friend was saying it in a joking manor, so she laughed before taking some of the torn wrapping paper around her, balled it up, and threw it at the long haired man as she aimed for his head. Severus easily dodged it while laughing before taking his wand and aiming it at the fireplace, saying, _"Incendio."_

After a fire was lit in the fireplace, the three of them set to continue opening Christmas presents. Harry of course received a lot of presents, most of them from Lily and Severus, and the others from Dumbledore, McGonagall, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco, and about two more from Lucius. Severus was surprised to have presents from Lily, but was nonetheless pleased. Lily laughed when he saw the many shirts she had bought him and asked why none of them were black.

There were only eight presents left under the tree and Lily was delighted when Severus handed her five of them. She had presents from Albus, Minerva, Lucius, Narcissa, and her beloved Harry. She was saddened however when she didn't receive one from her best friend. Why hadn't Severus gotten her anything for Christmas? He used to always get her a present for Christmas before their falling out. And she thought they were in a good place, especially after last night, so why hadn't he gotten her one? Last year James had gotten her so many things she had been overwhelmed. But she then remembered that Severus and James were two completely different people. And their differences regarding their treatment of Harry also varied. James had treated their son as if he were a friend more times than not rather than like his son and a baby. Severus however not took care of Harry whenever she was busy, but he also treated him as if he were his own. It was plain as day to her that Severus' view of Harry had changed since they've been living with him. In fact, the man treated her baby as if he were his own.

Once all of the presents were opened and set aside, Lily took Harry upstairs to change both hers and Harry's pajamas for clothes. Returning back downstairs, she was happy to see Severus wearing one of his new shirts, and a baby blue one at that with some dark grey slacks and black boots. His black hair was tied back into a low ponytail and he looked so content with life, considering how awful it had treated him so far. She herself was dressed in a red blouse and black pants with black heeled boots, her red hair was curled on the ends with a green leaf hair pin holding her hair away from her face, and had a bit of makeup on. She had changed Harry out of his nightie and into a pair of brown pants and a cute little green sweater with a white undershirt underneath. She had put his little dark brown shoes on and had brushed his unruly hair, unsuccessfully laying it down.

Severus looked up and smiled when he saw the two most important people in his life come down the stairs. Walking over to them he took Harry and held him close before looking down at Lily lovingly. He noticed her blush a bit but she didn't look away from him.

"You look beautiful," he told her softly. Lily smiled and thanked him before asking him if he was ready to leave. They were going to be having Christmas dinner with the Malfoys and decided to look inside their stockings when they returned. The three of them stepped into the fireplace, Severus holding Harry and Lily close as Lily threw down the Floo powder and called out, "Malfoy Manor!"

The three of them soon arrived in the fireplace of the Malfoy Manor parlor where Narcissa and Draco were waiting for them. Harry smiled as soon as he saw his friend just as Draco did the same. Severus put Harry on the carpet so he could crawl his way towards the little blond. Draco and Harry hugged happily before Draco unsteadily stood on his feet and tried to help Harry do the same. Narcissa giggled and held Draco gently while Lily helped Harry to stand on his own two feet. Once the two toddlers seemed to be stationary, the two mothers let them go and the three adults watch Draco and Harry hold hands as they unsteadily made their way to a pile of toys a little further away. When the two made it to the toys, they both plopped down on their backsides and began playing.

"Welcome once again, Severus and Lily. It is good to see you both again, and little Harry too," Narcissa said as she turned back to the other guests. The three of them sat and talked for a while, halting the conversation when Lucius strode into the parlor and greeted them. After a few hours of more conversation, the Malfoy's House Elf Jacey appeared to alert them that Christmas dinner was ready. The six of them ate heartily, enjoying the cooked meal. Dinner had been over for about an hour and it was nearing nine o' clock when both Draco and Harry yawned and rubbed their eyes sleepily.

Lucius chuckled at his son and Harry before saying, "Looks like a few little ones are tuckered out this Christmas evening."

Severus hummed and said, "Indeed. I guess that is our queue to leave, don't you think, Lily?"

Lily smiled and nodded as she lifted Harry out of the highchair he was in and held him in her arms. The child was asleep as soon as his head lay upon her breast. Narcissa smiled as she called Jacey to take Draco and prepare him for bed. When Jacey disappeared with Draco, the Malfoy Lord and Lady escorted the Prince heir, Lily, and the Potter heir back into the parlor to the fireplace.

"Thank you for having Christmas dinner with us, you two. We hope you enjoyed it," Lucius said as he wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. Lily thanked them and reminded them to stop by tomorrow to pick up their presents. Severus sent Lily on ahead of him as he needed to talk with Lucius about some Order business. Not really befitting of the holiday, but being spies didn't completely allow for holidays. Lily nodded and she and Harry Flooed back to Spinner's End.

Lily sighed as she stepped out of the fireplace before taking her son upstairs to gently bathe him and change him back into his nightie. Once she laid him down in their bed, she left the room and headed back downstairs to wait for Severus' return. She sat in the man's armchair and looked at the lit Christmas tree, noticing the presents still under the tree that belonged to the Malfoys. She was still a little upset that Sev didn't give her a present, but she figured she would get over it. It was then that she remembered she had a stocking to look into.

Standing up she walked over to the fireplace and took the red stocking that had her name on it, along with magically moving flying reindeer from its hook and sat back in her friend's armchair. Peering inside Lily was delighted to find her favorites, Chocolate Slugs inside, as well as candy canes and her favorite Muggle hard candies inside. Severus still remembered she liked the fruity hard candies that stuck together when they began to melt. She also found a container of roasted walnuts and a Wizard's unlimited gift card to spend anywhere she wanted to, Wizarding and Muggle World. She almost set the stocking aside when she noticed one more item at the bottom of it. Reaching inside it once more, her fingers wrapped around a small flat box with a red bow on top of it. The box was black and had a gold button on it. Pressing the button, Lily jumped a little as the lid of the box popped open revealing its contents.

The red haired woman gasped as she gazed upon what was inside the box. Lying neatly inside the box was a stunning silver charm bracelet with different charms already hooked on it. There was a charm of a lily for her, a petunia for her sister Petunia, a daisy for her mother Daisy, a chef's hat for her father Harold, a lion for her being a Gryffindor, the Hogwarts crest, a broomstick for her deceased Quidditch loving husband, and an owl charm that she suspected was for Harry. But the one charm that caught her attention above all the rest was the one of the Prince family crest, a P sitting in a shield with a crown above the P and two snakes wrapped around the letter's base and slithering along the sides of the of shield. She remembered both Severus and Eileen telling her about their Wizarding family history and how the Prince's had an estate that needed to be occupied by the next generation of Princes. She knew Severus had originally planned to stay there after graduation and inheriting the Prince fortune, but life decided that wasn't in the cards for him, especially when Eileen passed.

Gently picking the bracelet up out of the box, Lily placed it on her left wrist and admired it. She noticed a folded piece of paper sitting in the little box and took it out. Unfolding it, she was surprised to see Severus' neat and elegant handwriting. She then began to read what he wrote.

 _Lily,_

 _I am sure that you thought I hadn't gotten you anything for Christmas. However that was not the case, as you can see. This charm bracelet is for you and has a charm for everything and everyone that is important to you in your life. I almost did not put the broomstick on it, but I know that Potter was your husband and Harry's father, so I decided to include a charm for him for you as well. The bracelet also has a protective charm on it, so if any attack or harm should come your way, you will be well protected._

 _You know that I expressed my feelings for you last night, and just to reiterate, I do in fact love you. I always have and always will. You probably only kissed me because of the mistletoe, but that moment made me the happiest I have ever been. This bracelet is another way for me to convey my love for you without the need for words. The Prince Crest charm is a special charm more so than the others. Tap your wand on it to find out how. Again, I love you Lily, forever and always._

 _Happy Christmas, my love._

 _Sev_

Tears had formed in Lily's eyes as she read the note. Severus could be so sweet at times and it caused her heart to flutter. Wondering what the Prince Crest charm could hold, she took out her wand and tapped it. The charm began to glow and soon was displaying a magical screen. Before she knew it, Lily was watching a montage of memories of her and Severus, starting from when they first met and continuing on into the years of them growing up. She was surprised that the memories included the bad ones as well, but the bad ones soon turned good again, starting with her arrival at Spinner's End. The whole time she watched, Lily cried silent tears and allowed her heart to soar as she watched. The last memory that showed was hers and Sev's kiss under the mistletoe before it ended.

Severus loved her so much and was not ashamed to let her know that. It made her so happy to know he felt that way. She was even happy to know that he was making her feel the way that James had never made her feel. Severus seemed to be everything she ever wanted in a man. His imperfections made him perfect in her eyes and his cold exterior made room for his warm and loving interior that would love unconditionally if allowed. Severus was the missing piece she had felt in her life, even when she had been married to James Potter. It was then that Lily realized it. She was in love. She was _in love_ with _Severus_. She knew it was a bit early to realize this, too soon after the death of her husband, but Lily couldn't deny it. Her mother had been right, she would know who her soul mate would be, and it was Sev. Just like he found the courage to tell her, she needed to tell him.

Just then the Floo sounded and Severus stepped out of the fireplace. He brushed the soot from his clothes before looking up at Lily. He was about to say something when he suddenly found himself with an armful of red haired woman. Hearing her sniffles, he asked, "Lily, what is the matter?"

Lily shook her head and pulled away to look the man in his black eyes. She smiled and said through her tears, "Thank you, Sev. Thank you for the bracelet, and the memories that you shared with me. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Severus said as he wiped her tears. He smiled down at her as she smiled up at him. However he was surprised when Lily pressed her lips against his in a sweet kiss. He kissed her back before pulling away and looking her in her green eyes.

"Lily?" Severus said, trying to keep hope at bay.

"I love you, Sev. I don't know why I didn't realize it years ago; maybe it was just my stubbornness. But despite all of that, I love you. You're my best friend and my soul mate. You love and care for Harry and love and care for me. I can't thank you enough for how much you mean to me and for your importance in my life. I love you, Severus Tobias Snape," Lily said as she stared deeply into Severus' eyes, meaning every word she had spoken.

Severus couldn't believe his ears. Lily loved him. Lily _loved_ him. _Lily loved him!_ Not waiting any longer he smashed his lips against the love of his life's lips, kissing her passionately just like he always wanted to. He was a little worried that this would be too fast for Lily, but the female didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was giving back as good as she was getting. Pretty soon the two of them found themselves on the floor in front of the fireplace, Severus on top of Lily and their clothes no longer on their bodies as they continued to kiss fervently.

The new lovers found themselves in bliss as hands caressed and stroked over each other's bodies, gasps, groans, and moans being exchanged in each other's ears. Several passion-filled moments later, the two of them held each other in front of the still burning fireplace and the still lit Christmas tree as they tried to catch their breath. Severus laid his head on Lily's chest after giving her a soft kiss, and closed his eyes as he continued to hold her. Lily smiled softly down at him as she held him, her fingers gently running through his damp hair that had come loose during their activities and massaged his scalp. She smiled as she realized that he had fallen asleep on top of her. Luckily he wasn't too heavy a weight on her. Leaning over to give him a kiss on top of his head, she whispered, "I love you, Sev. Happy Christmas, my love."

 **Author's Note: I have been focused mostly on the development of Severus and Lily's romance, and now they are finally together. Now that that is out of the way, I will begin to focus on other aspects surrounding their storyline, such as Sirius going to Azkaban, the Longbottoms being tortured into insanity, the war, etc. Just be patient with me, as I am about to be going into final exams for the end of the semester. I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

 **Author's Note: Exams are finally over. Thank God! Been stressing while also trying to get new updates to my stories up. But I passed all of my classes, so that's a plus** **J** **. Anyway, here is the next chapter of Severus and Lily's story. I hope you all enjoy! Love, SehunsBae37.**

 **P.S. This chapter takes place just days after New Years.**

Coming Back to You

Chapter 8: News of the Longbottoms

Severus hummed to himself as he sat in his personal brewing room that night, stirring the ingredients of a Pepper-Up Potion for Harry. The little tyke had caught a cold sometime in the middle of the night and Lily had asked him if he'd make a potion for her son. Of course he agreed to, as he was also concerned about Harry's wellbeing. The boy was practically his own son and he loved him dearly, just like his mother. Severus usually kept Pepper-Up Potions on hand, but he had to give all that he had to Madam Pompfrey, as she had ordered a large quantity from him back in November and it slipped his mind to make more.

When he was finally done stirring, he placed a charm over it to allow it to sit and seep for ten minutes. After that time had passed, he took off the charm, stirred it once more, then placed the potion into vials until there was no more of it in his cauldron. Taking one of the vials, he walked out of his Potions Room and into the living room where Lily was sitting up with Harry, who was definitely looking under the weather.

Lily looked up from comforting her son and smiled in relief at the sight of the man she loved. Standing with Harry in her arms, she walked over to Severus, saying, "Thank goodness. He's getting fussy and I was hoping you would finish soon."

"Worry not, Lily. Though potions take time, I can work faster than the average portion maker. Now where is his sippy cup? I'm going to pour half of this into his milk and let him have it," Severus said as he looked at Harry. The boy looked sluggish and his green eyes were a little clouded. He whimpered as he looked at Severus before reaching out for him, saying softly, "Daddy."

Harry had taken to calling Severus 'daddy' rather than 'daddy Sevvy' when he seemed to notice his mother and Severus closer than previous. He had actually made his way down the stairs by himself the morning after Christmas and crawled into the living room, where he found the two adults awake, and naked. Luckily his little mind wasn't able to decipher the scene he had taken in, though his childish mind wondered why his mother had scrambled to cover herself and why Severus had immediately scooped him up and rushed back upstairs with him.

Lily handed Severus her son and took the vial of Pepper-Up Potion and poured half of it into his warm milk. Once she re-corked the vial and screwed the top of the sippy cup back on, she swirled the milk inside around a bit before handing it to her lover. The man took the cup and held it up to Harry's mouth who immediately placed the mouthpiece in his mouth and drank the milk. The two adults watched him drink the milk, the warm liquid quickly lulling him to sleep. Severus gently took the cup from him, letting the toddler lay his head on his shoulder. Harry yawned before finally settling down to sleep on Severus' shoulder.

Severus offered to take him up to Lily's room and settle him down to sleep. While he was gone doing that, Lily took Harry's sippy cup to the kitchen and placed it in the sink before going back to the living room and settling on the sofa once more. She sighed as she sat down, staring into the burning flames of the fireplace. She hated it when Harry got sick, but luckily she now had Severus who took care of him more than James ever had.

Whenever she thought about James, she couldn't help but compare him to Severus, especially when it concerned how they both cared for Harry. Severus was acting like the father that James should have been to Harry. Lily had always been the one to take care of Harry. Even when she was pregnant, she had never gotten her back or feet rubbed whenever they were sore, and she always had to go and get the cravings that she wanted in the middle of the night because James refused to. James was supposed to have done all of that for her, just like her mother said her father did for her. But even before they were engaged, back when they were dating, Lily overlooked all of James' arrogant ways and bad decisions because she was so hell-bent on getting back at Severus for calling her a Mudblood and refused to forgive him when had begged for her forgivness. Gosh, was she really that petty and shallow back then? Did she even really love James? She wondered if all of that made her a bad person. But still, Severus loved her and had professed it several times, whether they were having breakfast together or just spending time together. Even in the throes of passion and afterwards in bed, he let her know that, and she made sure she let him know the same thing.

The red haired woman looked up when Seveus came back down the stairs and sat down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and said, "He's just fine. The potion had started taking affect as soon as he drank it, and I believe that added with the warm milk helped to put him to sleep. He will be back to his usual self by morning."

"That is good, very good. I always worry when he comes sick," Lily said with relief.

"Don't worry so much, Lily-flower. As long as I am here, I promise to take care of you and little Harry," Severus said, lifting her chin and smiling sweetly, gazing into her beautiful green eyes. Leaning down he kissed her softly on the lips.

The two of them sat and snogged for a while until the roar of the Floo caught their attention. Pulling away from each other, they looked towards the fireplace and saw the flames turn green before a voice called through, "Severus, my boy. Are you busy at the moment? I have some urgent business to discuss with you. And if Lily is with you currently, she needs to hear this as well."

"Come through, Albus," Severus said, giving Lily's hand a kiss before standing up from the sofa. Seconds later, Dumbledore stepped through the green flames wearing deep blue robes with silver moons all over it. He brushed off the soot from the fireplace from his robes and then looked at his two Order members.

Smiling, the old wizard said, "Good to see you both this evening."

Lily smiled and returned the greeting, standing from the sofa to stand next to the dark haired man. Dumbledore knew that the two friends' relationship had changed, and quite frankly he was a little peeved about it, but he couldn't make them not be together so he had to deal with it. He just wondered if Severus would be a good influence on young Harry.

Severus, seeing the quick look he gave to Lily and him, took Lily's hand in his and asked, "So what is it that couldn't wait, old man?"

"Severus," Lily reprimanded poking the man in his shoulder.

"It's quite alright, Lily; I'm used to Severus' jabs. After all, he doesn't mean them," Dumbledore said chuckling. He cleared his throat and shook the smile off of his face to adopt a more serious one. When he had the other's attention, he said, "This may be a little late to tell you this, but on the night that James Potter was killed by Voldemort and Lily escaped with Harry, Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband, and her husband's brother went to the Longbottom house and used the Cruciatus Curse on Frank and Alice Longbottom."

Lily gasped and her free hand covered her mouth in shock. Her best friend had been tortured and she had not been notified about it. Severus was furious that Albus hadn't told them sooner. He would have ripped into the old coot, but he knew there was more that the wizard wasn't telling them. Looking him hard in his blue eyes, he said, "There is something else."

Dumbledore nodded and continued, saying, "Yes, there is. They were tortured yes, but something else happened as well. Not only were they the victims of an Unforgivable Curse, but the Lestranges did not stop until they tortured them into insanity. Frank and Alice are now inhabitants of Saint Mungos in their Psych Ward, and they both have no idea who they are or anyone else around them."

A sob followed Dumbledore's words and Lily's legs buckled underneath her. She sunk down to the carpeted floor and covered her face with her hands, her sobs filling the tense silence. Severus glared at the old man, silently cursing him for withholding the information. Months had passed since then and they were just now learning about the Longbottom's condition?

In a menacing voice, Severus said, "Headmaster, if you would be so kind, quickly leave my home. Your presence has already caused enough of a hindrance in the five minutes that you have been here."

Dumbledore nodded and him of the next Order meeting before disappearing back into the green flames and back to his office at Hogwarts. Once he was gone, Severus let out a frustrated sigh before he looked down at his love. She was still crying, just not as loudly as when she had first started after hearing the dreadful news. Bending down to sit on the floor next to her, Seveus gently maneuvered the red haired woman until she was sitting in his lap and her head was tucked underneath his chin.

"Shh, it's okay," Severus soothed as he rocked her and rubbed her back. "Everything will be alright, Lily. I will find a way to fix this, you'll see."

Lily sniffed and said, "I believe you Sev, I really do. But I just can't help but cry. Alice is my best friend and helped look out for me back at Hogwarts. And to hear that her and Frank don't remember anything or anyone, it just hurts. And poor Neville…"

More tears fell from her eyes and she hugged the dark haired man closely, looking for the comfort he was giving to her. Severus let her grieve for as long as she wanted for the almost loss of her friend. While she was doing that, the Potion Master's brilliant mind was already formulating the type of potion he would attempt to make to try and counteract the damage done to the Longbottoms. He thought of all the different books he would need and the potions he already had, what ingredients he could mix, the test subjects he would need per trial of made potion. Seveus knew it would take some time, but he was determined to bring the Longbottoms back to sanity; their son needed them.

He knew that if it was Lily that didn't remember Harry or him, he would do all in his power to help her until she knew who he and her son were. And he was going to do the same for Lily's friends, no matter the cost. After all, it was a risk he was willing to take just to see his beloved happy again.


	9. Chapter 9

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 9: Neville Arrives at Spinner's End

An entire month had passed since both Severus and Lily had learned of the Longbottom's condition. As he promised, Severus had been busy trying to find ways and brew potions that would reverse the damage that the Lestranges did to Frank and Alice. But he had still yet to give up, as he was determined to find a cure and see Lily happy again.

Lily had been a wreck the first week after learning that her best girlfriend had been in St. Mungo's since October. She was even more upset that Dumbledore had decidedly not told her until much later. What had the old man been thinking? It didn't matter anymore, though. All Lily cared about was praying that Sev would bring forth a miracle to heal Frank and Alice.

She had made sure to keep herself busy with cleaning Severus' home and taking care of Harry, but whenever her son wanted Severus, it allowed her to cry silently as she grieved. They weren't dead, but they might as well be. Lily had gone with Severus and Harry to go and visit them and it broke her heart to see the emptiness in their eyes, especially Alice's eyes. What made it worse was that Frank's mother was also there visiting and she had little Neville with her. His own parents had no idea who he was as he sat in their laps; they wouldn't even touch him.

Valentine's Day had come and gone, and neither Severus nor Lily decided to celebrate it. There was just too much on their mind to do anything special. But that night after Lily put Harry to bed and he was sleeping, she went into Severus' room and got into bed with him, just wanting to be near the man she loved and allowed him to hold her the whole night, falling asleep to his deep voice quietly telling her he loved her.

The two of them did spend time with Harry, giving him the attention that he needed and wanted. Even if he didn't really care for their attention, they gave it to him anyway, making him very happy.

Currently Severus was taking a break from brewing another trial for a cure, rubbing his eyes from the strain that he put on them from reading and researching. He walked into his living room to see Lily sitting on the floor with Harry, coloring on paper with him. Harry was babbling happily to his mother, showing her the colors he was using and what he was drawing. Lily was smiling and responding as she drew with him, but Severus could look into her eyes and tell that she wasn't really into it. She was still worried about her friends.

Looking up when she heard him enter the room, Lily looked over to Severus and gave him a small smile. She knew he probably already saw her true feelings at the moment, so she knew it would be pointless to lie if he asked her. She turned back to her drawing, feeling Severus walk over to her and sit down on the floor as well. When a large, yet gentle hand began to caress her red tresses, she sighed and closed her eyes, letting the feel of the caresses calm her and ease the anxiety she had been feeling for over a month.

"Daddy!" Harry exclaimed, finally realizing that the man had joined them. He stopped coloring and crawled over to the dark haired man and climbed into his lap, laying his head against his chest contentedly. Severus smiled and held the toddler closer, giving him a kiss on his head. At least he could be grateful that Harry was still innocent and did not know the evil things that have happened and are happening outside of his home.

The Dark Lord had called Severus and the rest of his Death Eaters that were a part if his Inner Circle in the middle of the night last night for a meeting. Both Lily and Harry had been asleep, and he was able to sneak into his backyard and Apparate away to Riddle House where the Dark Lord was currently residing. The meeting had been about a raid on homes in Muggle areas where Muggleborn children resided. He wanted all of the Muggleborns taken and imprisoned, where he would either make use of them, or simply kill them. He had also ordered the mother's of the Muggleborns be taken as well for the pleasure of the male Death Eaters and himself. The Dark Lord had offered Severus his own woman when the raid went underway, but he had refused, telling him that Dumbledore had him busy with a variety of potions that needed attending to with extreme attention and care. If it was potions, Voldemort would buy it. Also, now that his relationship with Lily had become deeper and romantic, he was rather insulted that the Death Eaters would defile the mothers of young witches and wizards that did not come from Wizarding backgrounds. Severus would never do anything that would be an insult to himself for to Lily, even if it cost him his life.

"Severus?" a soft voice called out to him, bringing him out of his musings. He looked down to see green eyes staring up at him in concern. Lily searched his face for a bit before finally asking, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am. Don't worry about me, Lily," Severus said reassuringly. "But I must tell you that I think I may have a breakthrough for a cure in about another week or two. I'm not completely sure yet."

Lily nodded and replied, "Well, just hearing that you may have one is good news to me, Sev."

Severus smiled softly and leant down to give her a kiss on her lips. After he did, he straightened up again when Harry, who had fallen asleep in his lap, whined in his sleep from the uncomfortable change in position. Lily giggled and sat up, taking her son from her lover to take him upstairs so he could nap peacefully.

As soon as she disappeared up the stairs, the Floo network went off. Severus stood from the floor and waited for whoever was on the other side to say something. The green flames roared again before Minerva stepped through with a toddler in her arms.

"Hello, Mr. Snape," she greeted him.

"Minerva. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Severus said, his black eyes trained on the toddler in her arms that was looking around his living room in wonder. Minerva sighed and looked her former student in the eyes before saying, "Severus, Albus and I have agreed for you and Lily to look after young Mr. Longbottom for a while."

Severus' eyes widened when he realized that the child was indeed Neville Longbottom, as he seemed to look like Frank. It was then he also realized what else the Deputy Headmistress had said.

"You want me to do what?" he asked.

"Take care of Neville for a while," Minvera answered. "His grandmother has fallen ill and is in St. Mungo's at the moment with Dragon Pox. He has no one else to look after him, and Albus said for me to bring him here. Also since Lily is a good friend of Alice's and is Neville's godmother, it is only fitting he be where she is, and that is here with you. And it would also be a good opportunity for Harry to make another friend other than Mr. Malfoy."

Severus glared at her for her silent insinuation of Draco not being fit to be Harry's friend before sighing and holding out his hands. Minvera smiled and passed Neville off to the man, taking a shrunken diaper bag out from her robes and enlarging it before placing it on the floor. She thanked him and stepped back into the fireplace, Flooing back to her office.

Neville looked up at the dark haired man for a while before reaching up and pulling on his long hair. Severus groaned and scowled at the child, causing him to recoil in fear before bursting into tears. Severus then tried to calm him down so his crying wouldn't carry up the stairs to where Lily and Harry were, but Lily was already halfway down the stairs when the crying started. Startled at hearing a baby crying, she asked, "Sev, who's crying? Why is there another baby?"

"Albus thought it would be fit for Neville to stay with us until his grandmother stops being ill. And since you are his godmother, you legally can take care of him," Severus said before passing Neville to Lily when she walked over to him. She took Neville and began to softly shush him, rocking him gently until he calmed down and fell asleep in her arms. When it was apparent that Neville wouldn't wake up any time soon, Lily looked up at her lover with a smile.

"He's going to have to share the room and bed with Harry. And that sort of leaves me bed-less," Lily said with a playful tone in her voice. Severus chuckled and said, "You know you are always welcome to stay with me in my bed."

Lily giggled at Severus' suggestion, though she also knew he was serious. The man kissed her cheek and told her he was going back to his lab to continue brewing. She watched him walk down the hall before turning back to the stairs and began climbing them with Neville.

She didn't mind watching out for and taking care of her best friend's son while his grandmother was sick. In fact, she felt she owed it to Alice, because she and Alice both knew that the prophecy (which she had already forgiven Severus for telling) could have been for either of their children. It just so happened that Voldemort chose Harry, and Alice and Frank were tortured into insanity. It also could have been the other way around, and she and James would be sitting in the Psychiatric Ward in St. Mungo's not knowing who they were. But she was going to be strong for both of them, for their son, and for her own. And she knew in her heart that Severus was on the verge of a breakthrough that would cure Neville's parents and the toddler would be back with his parents. But until then, she would care for Frank and Alice's child like he was her own.

 **Author's Note: I hope everyone had a wonderful and very Merry Christmas!**


	10. Chapter 10

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 10: The Cure

Two weeks had passed ever since Neville began to live at Spinner's End. He and Harry had become really quick friends, as well as him becoming friends with Draco whenever Lucius or Narcissa brought him over. Lily liked being able to take care of the sweet boy, as she felt she was helping out Alice and Frank, but she also knew that whenever Neville's grandmother recovered from being ill, he would be taken back home. But until then, she was glad that this was his temporary home. What had really surprised her was how Severus seemed to take to Neville.

From what she recalled, Neville had originally been afraid of her lover upon arrival. But somehow three days later, he was sitting in Severus' lap as the man read him and Harry and story from _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._ Severus treated Neville the same way he treated Harry, and it warmed her heart. And, though she would never admit it, it made her hot to see Severus be all fatherly. She remembered how she had jumped him that night after the boys were asleep, but refused to tell Severus why afterwards. He didn't use Legilimens on her, so he never knew the reason for it, but he wasn't complaining.

At the moment, she was reading one of Severus' potions magazines when the sound of hurried footsteps caught her attention. Looking up she saw Severus standing in the hallway, his hair pulled back in a ponytail and the sleeves of his dark purple button up shirt rolled up to his elbows. He looked her in the eye and beckoned her to follow him. Lily looked to the floor where Harry and Neville were playing on the carpet before setting the magazine aside and following her lover to his Potions Room. When she stepped inside, she found the man leaning over a bubbling cauldron.

"What is it, Sev?" Lily asked as she walked over to him.

Severus looked up at her before handing her a shiny bluish-purple flower petal with a silver base. He smiled and nodded, silently telling her to drop it in the cauldron. Lily looked into the cauldron to see that the potion at the moment looked black. Usually whenever a potion looked like this it was ruined, but it didn't appear to be trying to explode. And if Severus was allowing her to drop something in it, then it was still stable.

Taking a breath Lily dropped the petal into the potion, watching with amazement how the potion instantly turned from black to gold. Severus stirred it three times before transferring some of it into an empty vial. He corked the vial and held it up to the red haired woman, a satisfied smile on his face.

"This is it, Lily. I finally figured it out," Severus said. Lily looked at him for a while before her eyes widened in realization. Looking back at the gold potion, she asked, "Is that really what I think it is?"

The man nodded and answered, "Yes, it is. This is what will heal the Longbottom's minds; I have no doubt about it."

Lily couldn't help herself. She slammed herself into Severus, making him close his hand tightly around the vial to keep from dropping it, hugging him tightly as she grinned brightly. Bouncing in excitement, she exclaimed, "Sev, you did it! You found a cure! I could just kiss you!"

And she did just that. Pulling back from Severus, she planted her lips against his and kissed him, then kissed him all over his face while she chuckled. Giving Lily a kiss on the lips, he said, "Now, I haven't tested it yet, but with every single potion that I made leading up to this has been almost successful. I made a slight change with this one and am most certain this will be the cure we need."

"I don't care about the changes made, Sev. Let's get to the hospital and have them take this!" Lily said as she headed out of the door. Severus smiled fondly and shook his head. Setting the vial down, he grabbed another empty one and filled it with the new potion before covering the cauldron and corking the vial. He grabbed his cloak and placed the vials in its pocket before leaving his Potions Room and going into the living room.

Lily was busy putting shoes and coats on the boys as it was still a bit cold outside, telling Neville that they were going to go and see his parents. Harry looked up at Severus and smiled at him, reaching up to him so he could be held. Severus smiled and picked the toddler up, kissing his cheek while Harry giggled in delight. They waited for Lily to be done getting Neville ready before the four of them left the house and Apparated away. They of course made sure no Muggle were looking before doing so.

Moments later they arrived at the entrance of St. Mungo's, walking inside and heading towards the Psychiatric Ward. Many of the healers and nurses were used to seeing Lily Potter with Severus Snape, supposed Death Eater though it could not be proven. Word had gotten out that she and her son were still alive, thus making the Wizarding World relieved that they had survived Voldemort's murder attempt. Luckily, Severus hadn't been mentioned in the article, but it did bring up worry for the lovers that Voldemort would once again try to come after Harry.

Reaching the Psychiatric Ward, Lily went with Neville to sit next to Alice who looked at them blankly, telling her hello and placing Neville in his mother's lap. Severus put Harry down on his feet, watching his walk over to his mother before going to find a healer. He finally found one and got their attention; they seemed to be on break, so they had time.

The healer, a man, nodded at Severus and said, "Hello, Mr. Snape. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Healer Turvine. If you would not mind, I have a potion that I believe will heal Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom and would like to try it out," Severus said in a tone that left no room for refusal. Healer Turvine, who had been three years ahead of Severus back at Hogwarts, knew that Snape was the best Potions Master out there, as well as the youngest. He had probably created something that would indeed heal the couple where he and his colleagues had failed. Nodding, he said, "Alright then, let us give it a go. We will start with Mrs. Longbottom first."

Severus nodded and followed Healer Turvine over to Alice's bed. Alice was still looking blank in the face, but she was looking down at her son who was snuggling into her side. Lily looked up at the approaching men, a hopeful look in her eyes. Healer Turvine nodded and asked, "May I have the potion?" When he received a nod, he waited for the younger man to fish the vial out of his cloak pocket and hand it to him.

Uncorking the vial, Healer Turvine coaxed Alice to open her mouth so he could pour it in. Severus and Lily watched intently as he poured the gold liquid down Alice's throat, watching her swallow the potion with ease. The three adults waited anxiously for a result, hoping that the blank stare Alice was giving would disappear.

Suddenly Alice threw her head back and screamed, scaring everyone in the ward at once, except for Frank who looked at his wife with no emotion. Neville and Harry began to cry from the scare, letting Lily and Severus try to comfort them. Alice grabbed the sides of her head and shook it, still screaming as Healer Turvine tried to calm her down. And then suddenly, she stopped screaming and let go of her head. Alice was breathing heavily, her eyes closed as her head was bent down into her chest. Lily covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide as she waited for her friend to do something else. Everyone, visitors, healers, and nurses all held their breaths as they watched the woman who had just screamed loudly.

Alice slowly opened her eyes, lifting her head to look at everyone. She said nothing as she took in everyone's faces. It wasn't until her blue eyes landed on Lily did she open her mouth to speak for the first time in months.

"Lily?" Alice said in a raspy voice as it had been underused. Lily's eyes filled with tears before she sat Harry on the foot of the hospital bed. Once she did, she hugged her best girlfriend tightly, happily sobbing onto her shoulder. Alice hugged Lily back as she too began crying, remembering how she hadn't been able to say anything to her friend, nor recognize her until now. As the two witches cried and hugged, Healer Turvine shook Severus' hand, congratulating him on his miracle potion. The other healers and nurses all began to clap and cheer, applauding Severus for his brilliant work, as well as for the recovery of Alice Longbottom.

"This is absolutely amazing! Is there another one for Mr. Longbottom, or was one vial all that you brought?" Healer Turvine asked with a hopeful smile on his face. Severus chuckled and said, "Of course I have another."

He pulled out the other vial and handed it to the healer, watching as he once again poured the golden liquid into Frank's mouth. Frank did the exact same thing Alice had done, screaming and scaring only the two toddlers this time. Alice, who was holding her son tightly in her arms, watched as her husband began to heal under the effects of the potion. Minutes later, Frank was looking around as well before settling on his wife and son.

Frank smiled with tears in his eyes, saying, "Neville, Alice." Alice began to cry again, tears of happiness this time, and quickly got out of bed to sit next to her husband on his. The family held each other and cried, Neville's tears having stopped earlier before starting again. Healer Turvine smiled and hurried off to tell his colleagues the wonderful news.

Lily wiped her tears and smiled happily at the sight. She was so happy her friend was back, and in her right mind again. A hand fell on her shoulder, causing her to look up into black eyes. Severus smiled down at her, making her smile and take his hand in hers.

"Thank you, Sev," Lily said softly. Severus nodded and said, "You are welcome, Lily. I told you I would find a way to fix it."

The witch nodded, never having doubted him in the first place. She knew that Severus didn't have to do this, but she also knew he would do anything for her just to see her happy. And she knew that having her friend's back and caring for their son again would make her happy. She didn't know what she did to deserve a man like Severus, but she was glad that she loved him and her love was returned.

Frank, who had finally noticed the other couple, said, "Hello Lily, hello Snape."

"Yes, hello Snape. Was it you who helped us?" Alice said, looking at him quizzically. Severus nodded, giving them a silent answer. Alice nodded as well before smiling and saying, "Thank you, Snape."

"Indeed, thank you. You didn't have to heal us, but you did and have given us another chance to raise our son and be a family again. Thank you so much for this opportunity," Frank said as he held Neville, kissing him on the forehead. Severus, who had turned a bit pink from embarrassment, said, "You're welcome, Longbottom."

Lily giggled and rubbed his pale hand gently, easing his embarrassment. The gesture did not pass Alice or Frank. Alice giggled and said, "I always knew that Lily made a mistake ending your friendship. But she was so adamant that it was truly over, she never gave any thought to how it would be helpful in the future."

"Alice!" Lily said as her face turned red. Severus laughed at his lover's embarrassment, amused that her face turned almost as red as her hair. A pat on his hand made him look down to Harry who was reaching up to him.

"Daddy, up," Harry said, demanding to be held. Severus smiled softly and picked up Harry, ignoring the Longbottom's shocked looks. Alice and Frank both looked at Lily in question before Frank asked, "Lily, where is James?"

Lily's smile faltered a bit before she answered, "He's dead; the Dark Lord killed him trying to get to Harry, but we escaped as James sacrificed himself. And Severus has so kindly taken us in and has allowed us to stay with him ever since that night."

Alice nodded and asked, "Anything else?" She watched Lily's face redden even more as she said, "And Severus and I are a couple now."

There was silence for a while before Alice clapped and giggled happily. Severus and Lily looked at her confused while Frank smiled sweetly at his wife. When Alice finally calmed down, she said, "That is great! Lily, don't get mad at me, but I had always secretly hoped you would end up with Snape back in school."

"Really?" Lily said in surprise.

"Yes, really. I mean, when you told me what he had called you and how you called off your friendship, I thought that you were overreacting a bit; even Frank thought so. And then the next thing I know, you are hanging off of James' arm, Snape's mortal enemy. It was a little strange for me to see you suddenly with James. But I was hoping that you would listen to Snape's explanation and give him the chance to apologize. And also, I was cheering for you two to become a couple after your reconciliation."

"Why didn't you two say anything?"

Frank shook his head and said, "Because we knew that you would be too stubborn to listen. And we were just trying to be supportive friends, though we secretly couldn't support your relationship with James. You suddenly went from hating James and liking Snape, to hating Snape and liking James, and just because of an argument that could have been resolved with just talking."

Alice nodded and said, "We had hoped that maybe you being with James was just a phase, but then you announced your engagement. We still hoped you would back out, but you got married, and then had Harry. It was too late by then."

"But it seems that fate has still turned a wrong into a right," Frank said with a small smile. Both Lily and Severus couldn't believe what the Longbottom couple had just told them. They both thought that Lily being with James wasn't right and had secretly rooted for Severus. And after hearing their explanation as to why, it made Lily feel worse than she ever did about the situation. And the proof that she had been with James was her wedding certificate and Harry who was the spitting image of him. But she knew deep in her heart that she loved Severus and always had.

Looking up at the man, she smiled at him as he smiled back. Harry smiled as well and waved at his mother, causing her to giggle and wave back. Lily stood and walked around the empty bed to Frank's, hugging both of them and kissing Neville goodbye, telling them that she would be back tomorrow. Severus, Lily, and Harry all left the Psychiatric Ward and St. Mungo's, Apparating right into Severus' back yard. The three of them entered the house and headed upstairs, intent on taking a nap.

Harry was already asleep by the time Severus laid him down in between them on his bed. Lily kissed her son's head before looking up into the black eyes of her lover. She smiled and said, "Thank you again, Sev."

"You're welcome, Lily." Severus replied softly. He carefully leaned over Harry and gave Lily a kiss, whispering 'I love you' against her lips. Lily softly replied before they both settled down on either side of Harry. They wrapped their arms around the toddler and snuggled together, falling into a wonderful and content sleep for the first time in weeks.


	11. Chapter 11

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 11: The Dark Lord's Summon

It was April, and springtime was among the witches and wizards of Wizarding Britain. Even the Muggles were enjoying the change in weather. And for Lily, it couldn't have been a happier time.

The Longbottoms had been released from St. Mungo's almost a month ago and were doing well. Everyone was happy to see them cured and with their son again, but no one more than Frank's mother who would burst into happy tears everytime she saw them. She had even shown up at Spinner's End to thank Severus and kissed his cheeks in gratitude. However the nice moment turned rather embarrassing when she smack Severus on his arse and told him that he had better make a decent bride out of Lily and for them to "grind it out" while they were still young. She had had laughed at their mortified expressions, her laughter making Harry giggle in his mother's arms before she left.

Severus' success had been printed in The Daily Prophet, making everyone congratulate him whenever he went to Diagon Alley for ingredients from the Apothecary. His success of his reviving of the Longbottoms however, was also heard by a few Death Eaters, Death Eaters by the names of Walden Macnair, Gregor Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe Sr., and those three immediately went to share the news with Lord Voldemort at the Riddle House.

* * *

"Do you mean to tell me that those blood-traitor Longbottoms have been healed? And by one of my Inner Circle, Severus no less?" Voldemort hissed. When Macnair, Goyle, and Crabbe Sr. all nodded in confirmation, the Dark Lord turned to glare into the fireplace burning next to him.

Why would Severus do this? Why would he reverse the effects of his Death Eater's work? Did he not realize that those blood-traitors had a son that could have brought his downfall? Wanting answers he summoned his second-in-command Lucius Malfoy, waiting a bit impatiently for his arrival.

A minute later the blond man walked into the room that Voldemort was sitting in and knelt down before him, head bent as he said, "My lord."

"Lucius, thank you for coming. You may rise," Voldemort said. Once Lucius was back on his feet, Voldemort said, "I assume that you have heard of Severus' achievement with those blood-traitors."

"Yes, my lord," Lucius responded.

Voldemort nodded thoughtfully before saying, "I need to know why he has done it. Bring Severus to me, Lucius. Bring him to me, and once he tells me his reason for healing the Longbottoms, I want you to gather Death Eaters and lead a raid on the Longbottom house hold. I want those blood-traitors brought here and chained in my dungeon room. Torture them again, show them no mercy, and afterwards I will kill them myself once they begin to beg for death."

Lucius nodded and asked, "And of the boy, Neville Longbottom?"

"Kill him," Voldemort answered simply. The Dark Lord looked into the fire in the fireplace before saying, "You are dismissed, Lucius."

The blond man bowed and left the room, nodding to other Death Eaters as he passed them in the hallways. Once he had completely exited the Riddle House, Lucius dropped his stoic expression and let one of disquietness replace it before he Apparated to Spinner's End.

* * *

Lily and Alice laughed and talked as they watched their sons play with their stuffed animals. Harry absolutely adored the black bunny Severus gave him, and Neville was enjoying his stuffed toad that Frank had gotten him. Frank and Alice were not working currently as the Aurors that they were because even though their minds were healed, they were not ready to go back out into the field; Alastar "Mad-Eye" Moody still had their positions for them whenever they were ready, though. Frank, wanting to provide for his family, took up an office position for the time being, leaving Alice to be a stay at home mother with Neville for a while. Alice didn't mind, as it allowed her to catch up on lost time with her son.

"I can't believe that I had been so blind to my feelings back then, Alice. Severus had always been there for me and I him. And in his moment of humiliation he called me something he didn't mean and I cast him aside. I know it was a long time ago and that Severus and I are together and happy now, but I still have dreams from that point on from when were at Hogwarts. Is it because I'm still feeling guilty, Alice?" Lily said, waiting for her best friend's reply and opinion.

"Lily, it was years ago that the incident happened; you need to let it go. I can understand you feeling guilty about casting Severus aside and dating his mortal enemy, even having the gall to marry him and have his child. But Severus has forgiven you and that should be the only thing that matters. He may never stop hating James and probably may even still hold some sort of resentment towards you for choosing James over him, but he's put it behind him. Especially now that you two are serious; you two are sleeping together after all, and co-parenting Harry. And from what you've told me, Severus is twice the man and father that James ever was, and Harry adores him. You need to just accept that the past is the past and stop regretting what happened," Alice replied patiently.

"But Alice-

"No Lily, just listen. If things hadn't occurred the way that they have, then you and Severus wouldn't be together now, and Frank and I would still be in St. Mungo's not in our right minds and never having the chance to raise and love Neville. You've willingly and unconditionally love Severus, and your love for him has opened his heart. So much so that he went out of his way to heal us so that you would be happy. You make that man better than he would ever see himself. Never doubt what I say to you, especially about this. That man loves you and would sacrifice himself to keep you and Harry safe, no questions asked."

Lily smiled and thanked Alice, hugging her as her worries eased. They pulled away when the sound of someone Apparating was heard outside the house. Seconds later the front door burst open and Lucius rushed inside, slamming the door behind him. His grey eyes landed on his best friend's lover and he quickly walked around the couch to stand in front of her and Alice. Taking a breath he asked, "Lily, where is Severus? This is important."

Alice stood up and said, "Maybe I should leave."

"No, this concerns you too, Mrs. Longbottom," Lucius said, gently pushing her back down to sit. Light tapping on his leg caused him to look down and he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as he gazed upon Harry's smiling face. Harry stood up and reached a hand up, his hand making a grabbing motion as he squealed, "Lu!"

Lucius bent down and picked up both Harry and Neville, holding them both close as he stood back up. Just as he did Severus came down the stairs from his bedroom where he had been reading. Realizing he had another guest in his house, he said 'hello' to him. It was then he took notice of his best friend's anxious expression.

"What is it, Lucius?" Severus asked, suddenly alarmed though his expression remained stoic.

"Severus, the Dark Lord has requested that I bring you to him. He wants to know why you have cured the Longbottoms. He also demanded that I lead a raid to their home and capture them, as well as kill young Neville," Lucius explained.

A horrified gasp left Lily's mouth while Alice covered her mouth with her hands, her blue eyes wide. She quickly stood and gently took her son from the blond man, holding him close and letting him play with her white hair.

Lily stood and rushed to Severus' side, saying, "Sev, we have to do something."

The dark haired man nodded and seemed to be in thought. Nodding he said, "Alright, I know what I will say to him for an explanation. As for the Longbottoms, it's not safe for them here anymore as long as the Dark Lord is still making demands for blood from "blood-traitors". They need to leave England, immediately."

"And where are we to go, may I ask?" Alice asked.

"My ancestral home in Ireland," Severus answered easily.

"Sev, you don't mean…" Lily started, trailing off when her lover nodded.

Lucius frowned in confusion for a while before realization dawned on him. Ignoring Harry pulling on his long hair, he said, "Prince Manor."

Alice looked at all three of them before asking, "I'm sorry, but what is Prince Manor?"

Lily smiled and said, "Prince Manor is Sev's family home. It's located in Ireland, specifically in the Ulster Province of the County Down. The manor is on land that they call Cóis Dara. It is protected by ancient wards and no one but those with Prince blood can enter. And Sev just so happens to be a descendent from his late mother, Eileen Prince."

Severus grinned fondly, impressed that Lily remembered all of those details that his mother so long ago told her. He looked at Lily, thinking that with the Dark Lord becoming suspicious of his actions now, it wasn't safe for Lily and Harry at Spinner's End anymore. He needed them to also go to Prince Manor for their safety; he'd be damned if he allowed them to be harmed.

With a flick of his wand, he summoned all of Lily and Harry's belongings, having them come flying before him before he shrunk them and placed them in a small pouch he pulled from his cloak.

Lily looked confused at Severus' actions, wondering why he was packing hers and Harry's things. Taking the pouch of their shrunken belongings, she asked, "Sev, what are you doing?"

"Lily, you need to go with Alice and Neville to the manor. It's no longer safe for you here. The Dark Lord is already questioning my actions just solely based on the fact that I healed your friends. I cannot risk you being found here if he sends spies to watch me," Severus said, holding Lily close and kissing her forehead. "I will take you there, but I do not know when I will return. Just know that I will."

The red haired woman nodded though she felt like crying. She took her son from Lucius and followed Severus to his backyard, Alice and Neville close behind. The mother's held their children close to them as they each grabbed one of the Potions Master's hands, Side-Apparating with him.

Several seconds later, three pairs of feet landed on soft green grass, feeling a light breeze blow through their hair and over their faces. Lily opened her eyes and gasped in wonder as she gazed up at the most magnificent building she had ever seen. She looked over and saw Alice also staring at the overly large house in amazement.

"I have already gotten you through the wards, and you have my permission to enter the manor. Now I need to leave; the Dark Lord is waiting," Severus said letting go of their hands. He was about to turn and Apparate back to England when the call of his name from Lily stopped him.

Turning to face her, he felt his heart clench as he at the distressed expression on Lily's face. Stepping back towards her he wrapped his arms around both her and Harry, holding them close and kissing them both on their heads. Pulling away he said, "I will return as soon as I can, Lily-flower."

"Be careful, Sev," Lily said softly. Harry felt the change in the emotional atmosphere and as a result, he began to cry. He was reaching for his daddy and calling for him, but Lily and Severus both knew that time was of the essence for the man. Severus bidded them 'farewell' before Apparating away.

Lily sighed sadly before turning to face Alice and Neville, saying, "Let's go inside now and get settled. It's all we can do for now."

* * *

Severus and Lucius walked into Riddle House and to where Lord Voldemort was torturing a Death Eater for a mess up. They waited for him to finish his torturing before getting his attention. Voldemort looked at them and thanked Lucius before telling Severus to follow him.

The two of them walked down the corridor before entering a room, which turned out to be an office. Once the door was shut behind Severus, Voldemort said, "It is good to see you again, Severus."

"Likewise, my lord," Severus replied respectively.

"I have also heard of your accomplishment with healing those blood-traitor Longbottoms. Do you mind telling me as to why you have done so?"

"The old man asked me to, my lord. Ever since you disposed of that bastard Potter, he has wanted some of his best Aurors back for the Order. As a spy, I did what was requested of me."

Voldemort nodded in understanding, knowing that that meddling old man would get suspicious of his best spy if he had refused. Walking past the dark haired man he said, "Understood. Just be sure to still remain unsuspected within the Order."

Severus nodded and said, "Of course, my lord."

"And one more thing, Severus," the Dark Lord said before subjecting Severus to the Cruciatus Curse. He watched the man writhe in pain on the floor before cutting the curse off, satisfied with his torturing before saying, "Even if you were just following orders, I will torture you for the week while you also carry out my demands, starting first thing tomorrow morning." And with that, he left the office.

When the Dark Lord left the office, Severus groaned and panted in pain, grasping his chest to try and ease his racing heart. After he got his heartbeat under control, he slowly stood and stumbled out of the office, intent on leaving Riddle House and getting back home. Lucius met him halfway down the corridor, helping out of the house and Apparating them back to Spinner's End.

Upon entering the house, Lucius said, "I heard what the Dark Lord said. Do you want me to tell Lily?"

"No, don't tell her; it will only cause her to worry. Listen, when I start to feel better, I need you to go with me to Gringotts so I can retrieve the Prince Family Portkey from the vault it is in. Frank Longbottom will need it to get past the wards surround Prince Manor," Severus explained as his best friend helped him to lie down on his couch. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a Pain Reliever Potion, drinking it down in one gulp.

Severus sighed as his tensed muscles sunk into his couch. He heard Lucius settle into his armchair with one of his books, keeping him company while also keeping quiet. Like himself, Lucius had also been subjected to the Cruciuatus Curse and knew the best way to deal with the after affects were with a Pain Reliever Potion and sleep. He really needed to work on an antidote for just being tortured in general by the curse. The one he had made for the Longbottoms was specifically for repair of the mind.

As he settled down to take a nap, his final thought before falling asleep was that Lily and Harry were safe for the time being.


	12. Chapter 12

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 12: Surprises

The week that Voldemort put Severus through was hell. He had him be part of raids, capturing blood traitors, capturing Muggleborns and raping their mothers. Severus did not actively participate with capturing the supposed blood traitors and Muggleborns, nor did take part in raping innocent women and mothers. Neither he nor Lucius did so, as they found it disgusting and completely against their morals.

The raid for the Longbottom house that Lucius led of course was a failure as they weren't there. Voldemort deduced that Dumbledore must have somehow found out and put the Longbottom family in hiding. Of course this wasn't the case, as Severus had them moved into Prince Manor, but the Dark Lord didn't know that. When Severus had recovered from the Cruciatus Curse, he and Lucius went to Gringotts so he could retrieve the Portkey so Frank could go to the manor. As soon as Frank had arrived home, he had been surprised to see Lucius and Severus waiting for him on his doorstep. After everything was explained to him, he immediately packed all of his, Alice, and Neville's things before Severus handed him the Portkey and he disappeared to Ireland.

However, Severus was still not able to go to Prince Manor to be with Lily and Harry after the week Voldemort had put him through. As soon as the week was over and he had recovered from multiple torturing, Albus turned around and requested a private meeting in his office. Apparently, Albus thought it would be a good idea for Severus to take up the position of Potions Professor at Hogwarts, something to make Voldemort believe that he was taking an inside position to learn more information while still being a part of the Order and a secret Death Eater. Severus had been against it mainly for the sole reason he may not see Lily and Harry for a long time, but Albus insisted and told him that if he didn't, they would never be able to defeat Voldemort and the fall of the Order of the Phoenix and Wizarding Britain would be on his head. It was blackmail, pure blackmail, Severus was sure it was. But he knew that he was an essential part of the Order and that he needed to protect his loved ones at all costs. And reluctantly so, he took the position of Potions Professor at Hogwarts.

Albus gave pity on the Potions Master, as he knew that he and Lily Potter were now a couple and that he had come to love Harry as his own son, so he let Severus have three days to be with them before moving into Hogwarts.

* * *

Lily snuggled deeper into the pillow of the bedroom that she had chosen for her and Severus to share whenever he returned. She just wanted to sleep longer and not have to worry and wonder why Severus wasn't back yet. She hadn't heard a word from him and was extremely worried. She just hoped her lover was doing alright while doing things for Voldemort.

Soft kisses along her neck finished waking her from her slumber and she turned her head enough to look over her shoulder. Black eyes on a pale face gazed down at her with a loving smile. Lily smiled and turned over on her back and wrapped her arms around Severus, pulling him down into a hug after kissing his lips.

"Sev, you're here," Lily said softly, excitement evident in her voice. Severus grinned and nodded before kissing her again. He situated himself comfortably on top of the red haired woman, devouring her luscious lips as he felt her glide her hands down his back and up again. A shiver ran down his spine at the feel of her hands on his clothed back. Grinning he got himself ready to please the love of his life as thoroughly as possible today, and for the next three days after.

* * *

Alice and Frank had seen Severus arrive and head towards the stairwell so he could go and find Lily. It was early morning, so Neville and Harry weren't awake yet and most likely wouldn't be disturbed by the long haired man. The reason the couple was awake was because they were discussing whether they should return to England and retrieve Frank's mother. Even though the Death Eater's did not know where her home was, there was always the possibility that they could catch her by surprise and take her to Voldemort. However that discussion died the moment Severus appeared in his family home.

"Do you think Lily will be happy to see Severus after a whole week?" Alice said.

Frank nodded and said, "Of course she will, Alice. But something seemed a bit off about Severus, though."

Alice frowned and looked at her husband in confusion, asking, "How so?"

"Well, he looked like something was bothering him a little bit. It was almost like he had something on his mind that he needed to tell Lily as soon as possible."

"He could always tell us and we could relay it to Lily."

"Well yes, but we aren't Lily, Alice. And whatever it is, Severus wouldn't tell anyone first except Lily."

Alice nodded and ran her hand through her short white hair, knowing her husband was right. If it wasn't her best friend, Severus wasn't telling anyone anything; that was just those twos dynamic. She frowned at the feel of her hair. Not only was it now white instead of blonde, but it felt coarse and dry. She cursed Bellatrix, her husband, and the husband's brother for ruining them for months and turning her hair white before it's time.

Frank seemed to know what his wife was thinking, as he reached over and caressed her face gently, making her turn her blue eyes to him. He smiled lovingly at her and ran his own fingers through her short hair, massaging her scalp in the process. Frank leaned over and kissed Alice sweetly on the lips before pulling back and saying, "I love you, Allie."

Alice smiled back at her husband and said, "I love you too, Frankie."

The two of them sat together in a comfortable silence, happy to be back together again and as in love as they were before they were tortured.

* * *

Severus lay on his back as he stared at the ceiling, his left hand resting behind his head while his right was rubbing up and down Lily's bare back. Lily was curled up next to him, her head on his bare chest and her leg settled in between his own legs under the sheets. He heard her give a contented sigh and snuggle deeper into his side and wrap her arm around him across his torso.

Lily smiled and let out a small giggle before saying, "That was wonderful, Sev."

Severus let a small smile appear on his face and he said, "I'm glad."

Lily frowned hearing a change in her lover's voice. Something was off and he wasn't telling her what it was. Sitting up a little she gazed down at Severus searching his face for answers, but finding nothing past his neutral expression. She looked into his black eyes and found what appeared to be guilt. Alarmed she asked, "Severus, what's wrong? What is it?"

The dark haired man sighed pulled his hand out from behind his head, reaching up with it to stroke Lily's face, his other hand still resting on her back. He looked into her bright green eyes for a moment before looking away, saying softly, "Albus has assigned me the position of Potions Professor at Hogwarts."

"Well, that's nice; it's in your field," Lily replied not understanding what could be so wrong about it.

"Lily, taking this job means that I won't be here with you for months," Severus said a little impatiently, his frustration finally catching up with him. "It means that we seeing each other will most likely not happen. I won't be seeing you or Harry whenever I want to anymore. I may not even be allowed to leave the castle on my own accord."

Lily gaped at Severus, letting all of the information he had told her sink in. This was…this was a surprise. No, not a surprise, a shock. She couldn't believe that Albus was doing this to them. Sitting up completlty and not worrying about covering her naked body, she exclaimed, "What?! You mean, you mean to tell me that in becoming a teacher we can never spend time with each other?! That's what you agreed to, Sev?!"

Severus sat up as well and gently grabbed her arms saying, "Albus blackmailed me into taking the position, Lily. He claimed it was for the better good for the Order and the defeat of the Dark Lord."

"So what? You're supposed to be an extra spy on top of your double agent position already?"

"Kind of. I'm supposed to listen out for any of the students who are thinking of joining the Death Eaters and any information that they may be given from recruiters. And he also made me Head of Slytherin House; he says it will make my job for listening easier."

"I don't care about that, Sev. You and I, we won't be seeing each other. And Harry, he will wonder where you are. And…and…" Lily's eyes filled with tears, a few rolling down her face. She let out a sob and said, "And I'll miss you. We are way out here in Ireland where no one knows where we are, and you will be in England in all sorts of possible danger. What if something happens to you? How do you think I will be able to handle the news that you've died?"

Lily was full on sobbing by this point, and Severus could do nothing but wrap his strong arms around her and hold her while she cried. Severus hated that he was doing this to her; he hated Albus for putting him in a position he did not want; he hated himself for allowing himself to be a double agent; he hated himself for allowing his fellow Slytherins talk him into joining Voldemort's forces and receiving the Dark Mark. He hated everything bad or unfortunate that had happened to him that led him to this moment. Did he want to leave the woman he loved and the boy that was like a son to him behind for months? Of course not, but he had no choice.

When the witch finally calmed down her sobbing, she pulled away from Severus and looked him in his eyes, whispering, "Promise me you will be safe."

"I promise," Severus said with no hesitation. Lily nodded, satisfied with his answer. Severus kissed her softly, holding her close. Lily returned the kiss, silent tears still falling down her cheeks. It didn't take long before the kisses turned heated and they were practically groping each other. Severus gently laid Lily down and hovered over her a moment, saying, "If it helps, we have three days together."

Lily gave him a small smile before pulling the wizard down into another kiss, allowing him to please her body for a second time.

* * *

Severus' three days came and went and Lily, Harry, and the Longbottoms were once again alone inside Prince Manor. It wasn't all bad, as they were still exploring the place and finding different passageways, even some hideouts that Severus' great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather had established when it was first built. Also they were being served food from the House Elves that were still living within the manor, waiting for people to occupy the ancestral home again. They had been skeptical of them at first, but when "Master Severus" had informed them that Lily and Harry were his family and the Longbottoms were their friends, they relaxed and were immediately excited to wait on them hand and foot.

Harry and Neville were having fun together and enjoying exploring the manor as well. But it saddened Lily when Harry would ask where daddy was every day before bedtime. Severus would always read to Harry before he went to sleep, but the man wasn't here to do that anymore. Lily tried to fill in the gap that Severus left, but she knew she couldn't replace him for Harry. She wondered if she could send an owl to McGonagall and request a small visit for Harry's sake, as well as her own. But alas, there were no owls living in or around the manor. There were a few eagle hawks living in the trees surrounding Prince Manor, but she wasn't so sure she wanted to train one of those things to carry letters.

* * *

Two months had passed with Severus gone, and Lily found herself being ill constantly. She would throw up more times than not every day and found herself using the bathroom for what seemed like every ten minutes. Alice had been worried about her best friend and had even tried to go through the Prince Potion room that held potions that were still good to use and find something to help make Lily feel better. But whatever she did find did not make the red haired woman better and she was still continuously sick. Frank had thought about using the Portkey and returning to England to get at the very least Lucius, but Lily reminded him that he and Alice needed to stay in hiding. As long as Voldemort wanted them dead, the more their exposure could mean capture, and she was not going to risk that.

Finding no other option, Alice had asked one of the House Elves, Inka, to get Madame Pompfry from Hogwarts. Inka did so, taking the Portkey with her and returning five minutes later with the MediWitch. When Poppy had seen how sickly and pale Lily looked, she immedialy cast a series of charms over her to find the issue. After nearly ten minutes of casting charms, Poppy gave Lily an Anti-Nauseating potion, saying, "Well, she's sick, but for a reason."

"It's not life threatening is it, Madame Pompfry?" Frank asked concerned, looking over to the bed where his wife was gently rubbing Lily's hand. Lily had not gotten out of bed for the past two days, so they checked on her constantly. Harry and Neville were also seated on Lily's bed, watching the new woman curiously.

Poppy smiled and said, "Absolutely not. In fact, this is what I consider to be good news in a bleak time." Turning back to face Lily, she grinned and said, "Congratulations, my dear. You and Severus are pregnant."


	13. Chapter 13

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'm glad that everyone is still enjoying my story. Your feedback is very much appreciated and it makes me smile. Also, I noticed some reviews were confused about Madame Pompfrey saying that Severus and Lily were pregnant. Just to clear the confusion, Severus is** ** _not_** **pregnant; it is just a saying, lol. But I'm sure you know that, so let's move on and jump into the next chapter. Thanks so much for reading and your reviews! Love, SehunsBae37.**

Coming Back to You

Chapter 13: Severus Eavesdrops & Petunia

It had been a week since Lily found out she was pregnant, and she was really sad that the father of her unborn child wasn't with her. She wondered if the school nurse let it slip to him that she was expecting. When she had asked how Madame Pompfry knew about her a Severus, she had said that Minerva had been the one to tell her. She then went on to tell Lily that she made a good choice in giving the man another chance to be important in her life. Lily had smiled and thanked her before being told to take a series of potions every day, one to help ease the intense nausea she was feeling.

Lily didn't remember feeling this sick with Harry and wondered if her magical core, which would help to protect the child and help it grow, was reacting differently to Severus' magic than it had with James'. Whatever the reason, she hoped the nauseating feelings would subside in a few weeks. But one thing she really wanted was for Severus to be here with her and bask in the joy of her pregnancy, of the life growing inside of her that they had created together.

Feeling a bit cooped up inside Prince Manor, Lily decided to leave for a few hours. She needed the Portkey so she could return and she was going to take Harry with her. Getting out of bed she changed out of her night gown and put on a pair of blue jeans, her bra, and a plain yellow t-shirt. She put on some socks and shoes and then left her room and headed down the stairs to one of the main rooms where the other two adults were watching and playing with the two one year olds. It suddenly occurred to Lily that they two of them would be turning two next month; her baby was going to be two soon!

"Good afternoon," Lily said, announcing herself as she walked into the large room. Frank and Alice, who were sitting in the floor with the toddlers, looked up and smiled while returning her greeting.

Alice let Harry go so he could walk over to his mother and asked, "Are you feeling a bit better today, Lily?"

Lily shrugged and answered, "I'm feeling alright and hopefully some fresh air will help me."

"Oh, you're stepping outside?" Frank asked.

"In a way," Lily said, bending down to pick up her son, smiling at him and kissing him on his forehead. Harry smiled and laughed, taking Lily's red hair and putting his face in it. Lily told her friends she would see them later and left the room with Harry, snagging the Portkey that was sitting on a side table before she completely left the room. She and Harry moved through the corridors until they reached the front doors of the manor. Lily stepped outside with her son and closed one of the doors behind her, walking out onto the pathway until she reached the lawn, then further out onto the lawn until she could feel herself pass through the wards. Lily pocketed the Prince Portkey before holding Harry tightly to her and Disapparating away.

Lily's feet landed on hard pavement seconds later and she looked around with a smile. She had Apparated right near the park that she used to always go to with Severus as kids. Walking towards the park Lily said to Harry, "Mummy used to come here all the time with daddy, sweetheart. It was our favorite place to be."

"Daddy? Pak?" Harry asked, looking up the grassy hill that they were climbing.

"Yes, park. Daddy and mummy first met here, and he told me that I was magic," Lily said with a smile. "We met right under that tree."

"Tee! Magie!" Harry exclaimed happily, causing Lily to laugh at her son's pronunciation of 'magic'. As she finally reached the tree that she deemed hers and Severus', she was surprised to hear the sound of someone crying softly. Realizing that the sound was coming from the other side of the tree, Lily rounded it and came face to face with someone that she hadn't seen in years.

"Tuney?"

* * *

Severus carefully stirred the four different potions he was making, wanting to make sure that they would be perfect before he put them into vials for his personal stash. While doing so, he let his thoughts drift to his lover, wondering how she was doing. Poppy had stopped by last week to tell him that Lily was sick, but it wasn't serious. He wanted to know what was wrong but she was bound by her Healer's oath to not say anything, which he understood. But that didn't mean he didn't have a right to be left in the dark about the wellbeing of the one he loved.

When the potions were done brewing, he put a magical covering over them and left his Potions Lab. He walked along the dark corridors of the dungeons and up the stairs to the main floor of the large castle. Severus glanced into the Great Hall to see if any of the other professors was there having lunch. He saw a few, but not the Headmaster nor the Deputy Headmistress. He wanted to get permission from one of them to see Lily and make sure she was alright. The Prince Manor held potions and had a Brewing Room, but he wanted to see if he needed to do anything in case there wasn't anything there that could help Lily.

Climbing the stairs to Dumbledore's office, he said 'hello' to the portraits that he passed as well as the ghosts that had been floating around. Reaching the gargoyle that blocked the entrance to the staircase, Severus said, "Lemon Pop." The gargoyle accepted the password and stepped aside, allowing Severus to climb the stairs and head towards the Headmaster's door. He stepped off the last stair and onto the landing, walking towards the door leading to the Headmaster's office. Upon arriving, he was about to knock when he overheard the voices coming through the door. He realized that it was Albus and Minerva.

 _"_ _Albus, you need to let Severus go and see Lily. You cannot hold this information from him," Minerva said._

 _"_ _Minerva, Severus does not need that knowledge distracting him right now. He needs to be focused on the matter at hand, and that is being able to defeat Voldemort," Albus replied._

 _"_ _Is that really all you care about right now? Albus, we know the Order and beating You-Know-Who is top priority, but we have other lives,too! Especially Severus! He's young and in love and he has the right to know that the most important woman he has left in his life is carrying his child."_

 _"_ _Minerva, I feel guilty for not telling the boy as much as you, but if we told him, he would run immediately to her."_

 _"_ _And there is nothing wrong with that! It's better that he knows now than withhold it from him and have him return to her one day to see her pregnant or holding an infant in her arms. Can you even imagine the shock and confusion he would have at seeing that? Or is there another reason as to why you don't want him to know?"_

Severus couldn't believe his ears. Lily was pregnant? And with his child? Before he could think anything else, Albus' voice carried through the door again.

 _"_ _I just don't want it to become a scandal the James Potter's widowed wife is carrying his rival's and supposed Death Eater's baby. If the public hears about this, there will be an uproar. James Potter is a hero for dying for his family and for the Wizarding World. And for the public to learn that Lily Potter is now carrying Severus Snape, supposed Death Eater's child, the response could be catastrophic, especially if Voldemort finds out that one of his Inner Circle is in a relationship with someone of "dirty blood" and will be fathering a child from said witch. It's best that he doesn't know."_

 _"_ _Well I don't believe it's fair, and if you don't tell him then I will."_

The door flew open and Minerva took a step only to stop and see Severus standing there with an extremely pissed look on his face. It was obvious that he had heard everything and nothing said would consol him.

"Severus…" Minerva said softly, feeling Albus make his way towards the door behind her.

"My boy," Albus started, but Severus cut him off and said, "You have purposely withheld from me that Lily is pregnant because you are afraid of the backlash that will come from everyone when they find out that the wife of your dead golden child is with me. Thank you for letting me know how you really feel about me, old man."

Severus turned and headed back down the stairs to the gargoyle. He made his strides long so that he could leave quickly. As he descended the stairs, he heard Minerva's heeled boots rushing behind him and getting louder, letting him know she was following him. Once he reached the gargoyle, he quickly headed for the moving staircase, determined to get to the first floor and leave the castle.

"Severus! Severus, wait!" Minerva called after him, quickly rushing behind him. She grabbed the railing and followed behind the young man, hoping to catch him before he completely left. Just before Severus reached the landing, she caught his shoulder and stopped him. Turning him around, Minerva said, "Severus, I'm sorry you found out that way. I've been trying to get him to tell you about Lily being pregnant. The only reason I found out was because I was waiting for Poppy when she returned and exclaimed that Lily was pregnant. I'm very sorry."

Severus sighed and said, "I'm not mad at you, Minerva. I'm upset that Dumbledore doesn't really appreciate me the way he claims he does. But to not tell me about Lily being pregnant with _my_ child is cruel."

Minerva nodded and the two of them finished descending the stairs and walked towards the front doors of Hogwarts. They stepped outside and headed down the large path that led to the Entrance Gates. As they walked, Minerva asked Severus if he was going to see Lily. Severus nodded and told Minerva he would return either later on that night or sometime tomorrow. He didn't have to worry about his potions, as they were all done and were covered magically to keep them contained and from the fumes spilling out. Reaching the gates Severus gave a farewell to the Deputy Headmistress and exited the gates before Disapparting to Prince Manor.

* * *

"Tuney, what is wrong?" Lily asked as she sat beside her older sister underneath the tree. She settled Harry in her lap and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, only to be shaken off.

Petunia looked up at glared at Lily, her blue eyes piercing Lily in a way that they haven't in years. It reminded Lily of when Petunia was upset with her for being overlooked for her achievements because of Lily's magical ones. Petunia roughly wiped her tears and bit out, "What's it to you? Since when have you ever cared what the matter with me was? And don't call me 'Tuney'."

Lily was taken aback. Did Petunia really think that she didn't care? She was her sister, of course she cared! But considering their history every since she got her Hogwarts letter and their parents constant praise of her, it was understandable that Petunia's attitude towards her was still sour. After all, Lily was considered the Evans golden child.

Taking a breath Lily said, "Petunia, please tell me what is wrong. I know that our relationship hasn't been great, but I do care for you; I always have. I'm your sister, please don't let your grudges against me keep you from opening up to me." Lily waited to gouge Petunia's expression for a bit before continuing. "We are all we have now that mum and dad are dead. So please, tell me what is wrong. I just want to be close to you again."

Petunia looked at her younger sister, noticing her green eyes staring determinedly into her own blue ones. Realizing that Lily was serious, she gave a small sigh and sniffed before saying softly, "Vernon…he's left me, and taken Dudley with him."

"What?! Why?!" Lily exclaimed/asked, surprised at hearing the news. She didn't believe that the big ox was worth her sister, but she didn't think him low enough to leave her sister _and_ take their child.

"I found him being unfaithful, and with my best friend Elaine. He said that he couldn't love someone with a freakish family and was divorcing me and getting custody of Dudley. He has more power than I do, especially with his job so he won the court case and he took off with Elaine and Dudley to Paris with a job opportunity," Petunia let out a sob as her tears began to fall again. She wiped her face of her tears again though more kept falling before saying, "He took everything leaving me homeless. The only place I could go was here, back home and move into our old home. It's paid for and technically in our name as it was left to us in mum and dad's wills. I've been living here for about a month now and have gotten a job at the library, but I'm not happy."

Lily felt her eyes well with tears at her sister's tale. Picking Harry up and setting him on the ground, Lily reached over and wrapped her arms around her sister, holding her tightly as she hugged her. She was a bit surprised when Petunia wrapped her own arms around her as she cried again, the moment an almost complete reenactment of when they were five and eight, only Lily was now in Petunia's place and Petunia in hers. She let her sister cry her pain out until she couldn't cry anymore.

When Petunia was done shedding tears, she pulled away from her younger sister and wiped her tears one more time, then pushed her blonde hair behind her ears. Looking up at Lily, she gave her a small smile quietly said, "I'm sorry for everything, Lily."

The redhead knew she was talking about all of the resentment, name-calling, and hateful words that the blonde had ever said to her. Petunia was finally letting her in after so many years and Lily was happy that her sister was giving them a chance. Grinning brightly she hugged her older sister again, conveying her gratitude and forgiveness in that embrace.

Tapping against her leg caused her to let go of Petunia and look down, seeing matching green eyes looking up at her filled with confusion. Smiling, Lily picked her son up and turned him to face her sister, saying, "Tuney, this is Harry. Harry, this is Aunt Tuney, mummy's big sister."

"Tuney?" Harry asked in curiosity, looking up at his mother before looking at his aunt. He knew what the word 'sister' meant and had learned to associate it with someone looking like a person's mother or father. He didn't see the resemblance between his aunt and mother, but if this lady was his aunt, that meant she was family. Smiling brightly Harry reached out towards Petunia and happily squealed, "Tuney!"

Petunia's eyes widened considerably before, with Lily's encouragement, taking Harry into her own arms and holding him close. Harry smiled at her and leant over to kiss her cheek cutely before hugging her close. Petunia's eyes weld with tears, but she batted them away. She had done enough crying today, but this child that was the same age as her own immediately welcomed her and it touched her greatly. Lily smiled fondly at the sight before saying, "How about we head home and talk some more. You know, for old time's sake."

They both knew Lily meant their family home and with a nod from Petunia, the two sisters, along with Harry, headed towards the Evans home, planning to catch up on the years that they missed out on to be real sisters.


	14. Chapter 14

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 14: Patronus

Severus Apparated through the wards surrounding Prince Manor, feeling relief wash over him as he did. Finally he was out of that suffocating castle and back home where he found peace, as where Lily and Harry were. As he walked towards the front doors of the manor, they opened and Inka stepped out, bowing instantly at seeing the new master of the manor arrive.

"Master Severus! Welcome home!" the little House Elf squeaked happily.

The man nodded and smiled, patting her head while he walked inside. He knew Inka was following him and he started to wonder if he had ever seen her when he was smaller. Not being able to recall her at all, Severus asked, "Inka, when did you come to work here?"

Inka looked up at him with her large blue eyes and answered, "My grandmother's name is Wimmy(1), and she has always served the Prince family."

Wimmy? Severus remembered Wimmy; she took care of him whenever his mother saw fit to let him visit his grandfather before he died. Truthfully he missed her dearly and wondered if she was still alive.

"Is Wimmy still alive and living here, Inka?" Severus asked her. Inka nodded quickly and said answered, "Yes, Master Severus. Wimmy is alive and well, though very old now. Wimmy often speaks of young Master Severus and wonders how he is."

Severus smiled at hearing that the old House Elf still thought of him. He wondered how she would react at seeing him as a grown twenty-two year old man. Thanking Inka, he left her and headed up the stairs to the third floor to the bedroom that he and Lily shared. Opening the door, he saw that the bed was empty and figured she was probably in the Prince Nursery with Harry. The boy didn't really need to be in there, but it was customary that any child under the age of four occupied the nursery as a bedroom. There was an extra bed added for Neville as he too was under four, but most of the time he slept with his parents in their bed.

Leaving the bedroom, he walked back down the stairs to the second floor and headed towards the Prince Nursery. Upon reaching it he stepped inside and found Alice and Frank reading a story to Neville to help him take his nap. Frank noticed Severus and walked over to him while his wife continued to read to their son.

"Severs, you're back," Frank said with a smile.

"Yes, I am. I found out Lily was pregnant and came to check on her," Severus replied, deciding to leave out the part that he had overheard Dumbledore and McGonagall arguing about telling him. Shaking his head from that thought in order to not become angry again, he asked, "Have you seen Lily and Harry?"

Frank nodded and said, "Yeah, earlier today. She said that she wanted to get some fresh air because she had been so sick from her pregnancy, and she took Harry with her. I thought that they had returned and retired to Lily's bedroom."

Severus' eyes widened as he heard what Frank said. Lily had left with Harry and was not back yet? Had they completely left the grounds of Cóis Dara? Suddenly wondering if the Prince Portkey was where it usually sat, Severus rushed back down to the first floor and ran into the room to see if it was still sitting on the side table; it wasn't.

Feeling anxious, Severus thought of what he should do. He had no idea where Harry and Lily were and was afraid that they would get hurt by some of his fellow Death Eaters. Quickly getting an idea, Severus took out his wand and cast a Patronus Charm, watching as a glowing silvery-blue doe appeared out of the end of his wand. He gave it a message and sent it off to find Lily, hoping that it would be able to find her.

* * *

"Wait a moment. Let me see if I have this correct. The evil wizard that could rival Hitler believes in some prophecy that your creepy friend told him, and came to your house to kill Harry. However, he was only able to kill James (who I want to feel sorry for but am having a hard time in doing so) and you escaped with Harry and ended up at Spinner's End where you stayed with Snape. The two of you reconciled, became friends again, and let your feelings grow to the point where you decided to become a proper couple, _despite the fact_ that he was the one to tell that wizard the prophecy that could have had Harry killed. And then when Snape cured your friends that were tortured, it became so well known and appreciated that it caught the attention of wizard-Hitler, causing him to hide you, Harry, your friends, and their son in his ancestral home for your protection. Do I have everything right?" Petunia said as she stirred the sugar cookie dough for the cookies she was going to make for her and Lily.

Lily nodded as she prepared tea for her and her sister, before saying, "Yeah, that all happened in the last eight months. It's hard to believe it has been that long."

Petunia nodded as she started rolling the cookie dough and setting it on the cookie sheet. Harry was sitting on the counter next to her and was munching on some apple slices that his aunt had cut up for him. She looked over at him and smiled as he smiled around an apple slice. He took the slice out of his mouth and held it out towards her, saying, "Tuney, bite apple."

Lily giggled when her sister chuckled and took a bite of her nephew's apple slice, making Harry smile and eat the other half of the apple slice. Lily had just finished pouring tea into two tea cups when Petunia suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! Lily, you're twenty-two now! Happy belated birthday!"

"Thanks, Tuney. And you just turned twenty-five in May, so happy belated birthday to you, too," Lily said with a giggle. Petunia thanked her little sister and finished rolling cookie dough before putting the cookie sheet into the preheated oven.

While Petunia cleaned up, Lily wondered if she should tell her sister that she was pregnant. She wasn't sure if it was the right time, but they had reconciled and were talking again. Also Lily wanted to be able to share things about her life with Petunia. Deciding to bite the bullet, Lily said, "Tuney, I'm pregnant."

Petunia quickly turned to look at the red head in shock. Lily was what? Blinking she asked, "Can you say that again please?"

"I'm pregnant Tuney, with Sev's baby," Lily said, suddenly nervous. How was Petunia going to take this news? She never liked Severus growing up, so how was she going to react to her being pregnant with his child? Lily held her breath as she waited for her older sister to say something.

Finally Petunia smiled and said, "Congratulations, Lily. I'm so happy for you, and I know that child will be loved. And I'm also glad that you are with Snape; I neve said it but I found him to be a much better match to you than that Potter character."

Lily couldn't believe her ears. Her sister was happy for her that she was pregnant and that she was with Severus. Not being able to help herself, she ran into Petunia, wrapping her up in a hug. Petunia started and caught her balance, letting out a small laugh at her sister's sudden display of childishness as she hugged her back.

On the counter Harry smiled and clapped, happy to see his mother and aunt hugging. He looked over when his green eyes caught movement. Upon seeing a misty animal standing in the kitchen, he said, "Mummy, look."

The two sisters turned and were surprised to see the glowing doe standing in the kitchen. Petunia frowned asked, "Lily, isn't that your glowing thingy?"

"It's called a Patronus and yes it is, except I didn't cast it," Lily said in confusion. She watched as the doe walked over to stand in front of her, and was shocked when she heard the voice come out of it.

 _Lily, where are you? I'm back at the manor and you and Harry aren't here. I'm getting worried, so can you send me a reply to let me know where you are? I just want to know that you are alright. I love you._

"Daddy!" Harry squealed, giggling when the doe nudged his foot before evaporating away.

"Daddy? Lily, Harry is calling Snape 'daddy'? And how did he make that thing talk?" Petunia asked as she picked Harry up from the counter and held him, allowing him to play with her blonde hair.

Lily told her sister that she would tell her later as she smiled at Severus' message. Of course he would be worried if he suddenly went to Prince Manor and she wasn't there. She hadn't intended to be gone long, but meeting up with Tuney had her losing track of time. Also, Frank and Alice didn't know she was here either.

But overall, she was touched that Severus had changed his Patronus to match hers. He must really love her more than she knew. She needed to ask him when he changed it. Knowing Severus, it was probably when he thought he had lost her for good when they were still in Hogwarts and she began dating James.

Deciding to send her lover a message as well, she took out her wand and cast her own Patronus, expecting a doe as well. However, she was pleasantly surprised that instead of a doe coming out of her wand, a panther emerged instead. A panther Patronus, just as Severus' was when he first cast his. Smiling, she gave the panther her message and sent it off to Severus, watching as it ran out of the kitchen and through the wall of the living room. With a smile on her face, Lily turned back to Petunia and picked up on their earlier conversation.

* * *

Back at Prince Manor, Severus paced the floor as he anxiously waited for Lily's reply. Just as he was about to make his fifty-third pace across the floor, a panther Patronus walked through the wall of the room he was in and over to him, sitting on the floor. Severus was shocked to see that it was the exact same Patronus he had first conjured before it changed to a doe for Lily.

 _Sev, don't worry too much. I'm just back in my old home with Tuney. I have Harry with me as well. Guess what? Tuney and I reconciled and are sisters again! Isn't that great? You should come over and see Tuney, too. Oh, and I love you too._

Severus grinned at the message, watching the panther stand back up and walk around him, rubbing against him before disappearing. Lily and Harry were alright, and that was all that mattered to the man at the moment. Deciding to take Lily up on her offer to see Petunia, though he never really liked the woman, he left the manor and Disapparated to the Evans Family home.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks so much to kcrutcher123 for betaing my story, as well for the idea labeled (1). They have been a great help and is still giving a lot of ideas. Love, SehunsBae37.**


	15. Chapter 15

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 15: The Return of Sirius Black

The date was July 31st, the day of Harry's second birthday. Lily and Harry had celebrated Neville's birthday the day before with him and his parents at Prince Manor. She had brought Petunia with her to introduce to her friends and to help celebrate their son's birthday as well. Petunia had been nervous because she knew that Lily had expressed to her magical friends her dislike for anything and anyone magical during her Hogwarts years, but was pleasantly surprised when Alice had given her a welcoming hug and Frank had shook her hand with a smile. Severus had not been able to come to Neville's party, but luckily he made it for Harry's. The man had told Dumbledore that he refused to miss the boy's birthday and that he would just have to deal with him not being at Hogwarts for the day.

They were having the party at the Evan's family home and Petunia had baked a special birthday cake for her nephew (a small one just for him) and a bigger one for everyone else. Lily and Alice were helping her in the kitchen by preparing other bits of food while Severus and Frank were in the living room talking and watching the boys play on the carpet.

Lily decided to take a bit of a break since she got tired with her pregnancy now. She was now three months pregnant and was already sporting a bit of a baby bump. She found that strange as she didn't start showing until her fourth month with Harry, but shrugged it off believing that every pregnancy was different and she just so happened to be showing sooner than before. She walked into the living room and laughed when she found not only Harry, but Neville sitting on Severus as the man lay in the floor. Harry was seated on the man's chest and Neville on his stomach, both of the toddlers bouncing on him. Severus' black eyes shot to Lily silently asking for help since it was apparent Frank was not going to. Shaking her head Lily stepped forward and bent down, grabbing Harry and swooping him up into the air. The little boy squealed happily before hugging his mother, squealing, "Mummy!"

"Is my darling having fun?" Lily asked him with a smile. Harry giggled and nodded, replying, "Fun with daddy!"

Severus sat up with Neville in his lap and said, "Daddy needs to breathe without two two-year olds sitting on him."

Lily laughed as she went to sit next to her lover, giving him a kiss on his pale cheek. Neville had gotten out of Severus' lap and had walked over to his father who picked him up and suggested they go see what Alice was doing, giving the small family privacy. Once he was gone, Lily asked, "So what did you say to Dumbledore to allow him to let you come?"

"Just that I was coming here to spend Harry's birthday with him whether he liked it or not," Severus replied easily. "The Dark Lord's defeat and the Order may be important, but you and Harry are my number one priority."

The witch smiled and leant over to kiss the wizard on his lips lovingly, giggling when Severus playfully nipped her lip. Slight pushing on her stomach caught her attention and she looked down to see Harry pushing her away before moving to wrap his little arms around Severus' neck. Harry looked at her seriously and said, "No, mummy. My daddy, so no kissy."

Lily and Severus couldn't help but laugh out loud at Harry's statement. It was cute that Harry was being possessive of his father figure, but now that he was seeing the man less than he wanted to, it was understandable that he would want to be up under him today.

Petunia stuck her head in the living room and announced that the food was ready. It wasn't long before everyone was seated around the dining table and eating a nice lunch specially made for Harry's special day. The five adults sat and talked, the four magical beings happily telling a very interested Petunia all about Wizarding life. Ever since she and Lily had reconciled, Petunia had wanted to know more about the world that her sister and nephew were a part of. Severus still wasn't completely sure of Petunia but Lily had convinced him that the blonde was sincere.

However during the lunch, Petunia looked up past Frank's head to the window and let out a gasp. Alice looked at her and asked, "What is it?"

"It…I don't know, it looked like there was a man standing there just now," Petunia said, her blue eyes wide.

The other four adults turned to the window and looked, seeing nothing but feeling very cautious all the same. Severus stood and walked over to the window, looking out it into the backyard but seeing nothing. He turned back to Lily's sister and asked, "What did he look like?"

Petunia looked at Lily who gave her an encouraging nod before saying, "He had black hair and a bit of a scruffy face."

Frank frowned and said, "I don't think we know anyone who looks like that."

Before anyone could say anything there was scratching at the front door. It sounded as if someone's pet was trying to get inside. Lily frowned and asked, "Are there any neighbors who have pets around here, Tuney?" A shrug was her answer.

Severus told everyone to stay put as he approached the door, Frank following with his wand in hand. Reaching out Severus grabbed the door knob and twisted, pulling the door open to reveal a shaggy mutt of a dog. The dog snarled and jumped at Severus, instantly knocking him down on his back and snapping at his face as it was being held back by the man's strong arms. Shouts of alarm filled the house as the others came rushing to try and help the wizard. Pulling at the dog didn't work and they didn't use magic because they were afraid they might hit Severus. Petunia grabbed her father's old cricket bat and swung forward, effectively hitting the dog in the head. The dog whimpered and backed off of Severus, allowing the man to crawl back as it slumped against the wall in pain.

Petunia panted a bit before screeching, "Shoo! Shoo! Go away!" She took the bat and began trying to push the mutt towards the door only to scream when the mutt turned into a grown man. "That's him! That's the man I saw!"

"Sirius?!" Lily cried in shock.

The man, Sirius Black, looked up at the five adults staring back at him, his grey eyes zeroing in on Petunia. He groaned and rubbed the side of his head before asking, "Did you have to hit me so hard, you hag?" His response was to be hit once again in the top of the head with the cricket bat.

Alice bent down to get eye level with Sirius and asked, "What are you doing here, Sirius?"

"What are you doing here in this Muggle neighborhood associating with Snivellus?" Sirius asked in response, him glaring at the tall man.

Lily scowled at the man and said, "Sirius, don't start this today."

Sirius stood up and said, "Whatever. Anyway, I heard about James' death; I'm so sorry, Lily. I had gone after Pettigrew for telling You-Know-Who where you lived but he ended up blowing up a street and killing thirteen Muggles. He cut off his finger and was going to try and frame me for their deaths, as well as his own, but I turned into my Animagus form and ran away before any of the Aurors showed up. They don't suspect me for that luckily, and think that I'm just taking some time off when really I've been searching for that traitorous rat. I figured if I couldn't find him in the Wizarding World, perhaps I could find him in the Muggle World."

Petunia sniffed and said, "Well that is no reason to go spying into people's houses and scaring them to death."

"Quiet, pinch face; no one asked for your input," Sirius said without giving the woman as much as a glance. A gasp sounded right before two loud slaps filled the air, one right after the other. Sirius was staring wide-eyed at both Lily and her sister who were glaring at him after slapping him in both of his cheeks. Frank and Alice snickered at seeing the wizard get slapped twice in less than two seconds. Severus smirked at his Hogwarts tormentor who glared at him in return.

The moment was interrupted when a small voice called out, "Mummy? Daddy?"

Six pairs of eyes turned to see little Harry standing behind them with a concerned look on his face. Neville, who had been standing next to his friend, ran to his parents from feeling the tense atmosphere. Harry looked at everyone before looking at Severus, running to him with his arms outstretched, saying, "Daddy!"

Sirius couldn't believe his eyes. James' son was willingly being picked up and held by their enemy, a Death Eater, and was calling him 'daddy'! What on earth?! Rage building inside him from the sight, Sirius whirled on Lily and yelled, "You're letting James' son call Snivellus 'daddy'?! Are you really going to disgrace James and his memory by allowing this?! Are you really going to accept this Death Eater scum back into your life after what he did and is still doing?! Don't you care at all for the wellbeing of Harry and what Snivellus' influence on him will do?! Have you no shame, Lily Potter?! You are becoming a whore to a Death Eater so he can sacrifice James' son so the Dark Lord can win!"

Before Sirius knew it, a fist had smashed into his nose, a crunching sound filling the air behind the impact of the punch. Blood gushed from Sirius' nose as he held his hand up to it. He looked up to see that it was Severus who had punched him, though he should have known that from the amount of power behind the punch. Even back in school when he and James would gang up on him, Severus would easily take them down in a fist fight before they would get into trouble. It was one of the reasons he and James relied heavily on using magic whenever they thought to do anything to the Slytherin; in a fist fight, they were useless and could be outdone.

Severus was giving the other dark haired man a look that would have put the Killing Curse to shame while Harry was crying into his shoulder. Lily stood next to him, her green eyes ablaze with fury. Passing Harry off to his mother, Severus stepped forward and grabbed Sirius by his shirt, pulling him so they were nose to nose and lifting him off the ground as he was taller than him. In a low, menacing voice, Severus said, "I suggest you leave and don't come back unless you have an apology waiting to pass through your lips. How dare you say that about Lily? I'd kill you now but I don't want that to be engraved in my son's memory. It's his birthday and I'd rather he enjoy the rest of it. Now leave." And with that, Severus let go of Sirius, pushing him roughly into the front door before leading Lily and Harry into the living room to comfort them both. Frank, Alice, and Neville went back to the dining table, intending to finish eating but not sure if they were going to. With them gone, that left only Petunia standing there in front of Sirius.

Petunia glared at the bloody wizard before walking to the front door, opening it and making a gesture for him to leave. Sirius took the hint and stepped out, but not before turning to the blonde woman and saying, "I'll be telling Dumbledore about this."

"Go ahead, tell the old geezer. There isn't much he can do about it, though. He knows Snape and Lily are together, co-parenting Harry, and are expecting; therefore, there isn't much of anything he can do, especially since those two insist on being together. Now go and fix your face and have a nice day, mongrel," Petunia said before slamming the door in his face.

Sirius looked absolutely insulted that he had just been called a mongrel by a Muggle, and a woman Muggle of all things. But he couldn't help but find her attractive at the same time. He then realized what she had said. Lily was expecting a child with Snivellus? Shaking his head, he Disapparated to Hogwarts, intent on talking to Dumbledore about what he had just learned.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Yay! I've brought in Sirius finally. He will be appearing more in the story as it goes on. Thanks so much for reading! Love, SehunsBae37.**


	16. Chapter 16

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 16: Meeting the Ancestors

"The absolute nerve of Sirius! I mean honestly, that fool will never learn to budge from his bigoted ways!" Lily ranted as she paced the floor of hers and Severus' bedroom at Prince Manor. The party for Harry earlier had slowed for about an hour after Sirius' appearance and it took a while for Harry to calm down, but everyone was able to enjoy the rest of the party and the kids had forgotten all about the incident. However that didn't mean the adults did. When everyone said goodbye to Petunia and went back to Prince Manor, the Longbottoms retired to their room with Neville and Lily and Severus had put Harry down to sleep as he was tuckered out for the day. But as soon as Severus and Lily had returned to their room and shut the door, Lily began ranting and pacing, cursing Sirius as Severus sat on the bed and watched her.

In all truth, Severus was over the incident, just like he always got over anything Black and Potter did to him back in school. Well, except for that time when he was so humiliated that he insulted Lily in the worst way when she was defending him; he would never get over or forgive those idiots for that, even if one of them was dead. But even so, it warmed Severus' heart to see the love of his life still fussing over his honor against his former tormentor.

Standing up off the bed, he walked over to Lily and caught her just as she turned to pace again, bending down to kiss her passionately while effectively halting her ranting. When he pulled away, he smiled at the witch's flushed face before saying, "It's alright, Lily-flower. Don't stress yourself out over that incompetent fool. Think of our child."

Lily nodded and took a few deep breaths to make her temper go down. When she deemed herself calm, she sighed and leant her head against Severus' shoulder. In a soft voice she said, "I just wish his presence didn't ruin Harry's birthday."

"I don't think it did entirely, only for a moment. Besides, Harry was still smiling towards the end of the party before he fell asleep," Severus replied.

"Yeah, he was," Lily said with a smile. She then giggled and said, "You called him your son."

Severus blushed a bit before saying, "Well, I view him as my own, even if I didn't father him the first year of his life."

Lily looked up at her lover and said, "James hardly fathered him at all, so I think as far as Harry is concerned, you _are_ his father. And I believe that even when he's old enough to realize that he doesn't look like you, you will still be his father. I have no doubt in my mind about that."

Severus smiled adoringly at Lily before holding her close and kissing her once again, putting all his love for her in that kiss. Lily hummed contentedly into the kiss, wrapping her arms around the wizard's neck as she kissed back just as passionately as he was.

Pulling away from each other, they looked into each other's eyes, smiling and chuckling softly. They hugged each other, just enjoying the feeling of each other's arms around the other and the comfortable silence flowing between them, It was only broken when Lily announced she was hungry. Severus smiled, knowing her sudden hunger was from her being pregnant with his child. Holding her hand he led her out of their bedroom to head downstairs to the kitchen.

They had reached the first floor and were just passing one of the many parlors of Prince Manor when a voice suddenly called out, "Hello? Excuse me, young man. Would you come here for a moment?"

Stopping Severus and Lily looked at each other with a mix of surprise and confusion before turning around and walking into the parlor they had passed. The parlor was exquisite and very well kept. The carpet was a nice rose color with champagne colored furniture placed upon it. The legs of the furniture were crafted from dark oak wood, as was the fireplace. The drapes hanging from atop the window were a ruby red color and there were two crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. But what really caught the two adults' attention was the portrait hanging above the mantel of the fireplace.

There standing in an elegant portrait with a golden frame was a man that looked to be in his mid-thirties or early forties. He had dark brown, almost black hair that was the same length as Severus' and the same black eyes. A chiseled jaw line was covered with a short neatly groomed beard and he was wearing a really nice black suit with a shamrock pendant pinned to the jacket right over his heart. The man was exceptionally handsome and Lily couldn't help but think that Severus would look like the man when he got older and allowed himself to grow his facial hair.

The man in the portrait smiled down at them before saying, "Hello, and welcome to Prince Manor. I must say that it is a pleasure to see you once again, Severus."

Severus' black eyes widened before he asked, "Are you…are you my mother's father?"

"That I am. I am Roderick Prince, your mother Eibhlin's father and your grandfather, Severus," Roderick said, giving a slight bow as he smiled, his black eyes shining.

Lily cocked her head to the side and asked, "Eibhlin? Don't you mean Eileen?"

"That's my mother's Gaeilge pronunciation of her name," Severus said.

"What's Gaeilge?" Lily asked; curiosity evident in her voice and her green eyes shining with excitement at the knowledge she was knew she was mostly likely about to receive.

Roderick grinned down at the young witch and said, "Hello, young lady. What might your name be?"

Lily smiled and said, "My name is Lily Evans, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Ms. Evans. Now Gaeilge is the language of the Prince family heritage. As I am sure you are aware, we originated from Ireland, which is why our manor is located here. However the use of the language has dwindled over the years, but not because of an absolute refusal to use it," Roderick said; a sudden faraway look in his eye that could be seen even with him in the portrait.

Severus and Lily looked at each other, something akin to concern on their faces. Whatever it was that Roderick was remembering, it was apparent that it saddened him. Wanting to know as much as Lily what his grandfather was reminiscing about, Severus said, "Please tell us."

Roderick nodded before sitting in the comfy looking chair with pine green cushions behind him that added to the background of his portrait. Clearing his throat a little, Roderick said, "While my dear Eibhlin was growing up, I made sure to teach her the Gaeilge language. However while she was in school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I never let her speak Gaeilge."

"Why not?" Severus asked. He and Lily had seated themselves on the loveseat in the parlor to settle to listen to the late wizard's tale.

"I never let my daughter speak Gaeilge during her school years because I was afraid of…what might happen. Ostracism, just because of who she was and where she…" The elder Prince closed his eyes for a moment, a brief expression of pain passing over his face. "Where she came from. We were persecuted too, witches, wizards and No-Maj's alike; or as you British witches and wizards say, Muggles."

Lily frowned and asked, "So was it like the Salem Witch Trials of America? Or maybe like what You-Know-Who and his followers are doing?"

Roderick nodded, knowing what the young woman was talking about in both questions. Wimmy and Inka had told him about what was happening in Wizarding Britain and that their guests were hiding out at his family manor to escape this Voldemort character. Taking a breath Roderick finished, "That is part of the reason why I took the job I did in life. To help keep the Wizarding World safe so such things could stop happening."

"And what was it that you did? Forgive me, but Eileen did not speak too much about her family and I've only gotten second hand information," Lily said, very intrigued with Roderick's story.

"I was an Auror, and a damn good one at that. The Ministry called me their rock," Roderick said proudly.

Severus had a thoughtful expression on his face for a while, taking in everything that he had heard. He then mulled over what Roderick had just said before saying, "Mother told me that the Prince family had an Auror, but only one. I actually remember hearing about an Auror by the name of Carraig Prince…"

Roderick smiled and winked at Severus, saying, "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Snape."

 _"_ _Daideo?!"_ Severus exclaimed as he blinked up at the portrait in surprise.

Lily looked between the man and the one in the portrait before asking, "What does that mean?"

Roderick chuckled and answered, " _Daideo_ means 'grandpa', Ms. Evans."

"Aww! Sev!" Lily said as she turned to grin at her now red-faced lover, reaching over and pinching his cheek lightly. Severus grumbled a little, lightly smacking Lily's hand away, only causing her to laugh out loud and kiss him on his cheek. Severus smiled and lifted Lily's hand, kissing the back of it before smiling at her sweetly.

Roderick smiled at the exchange, admiring the affection passing between them. He had an idea as to what their relationship was, but he wanted to hear it from his grandson himself.

Getting Severus and Lily's attention, Roderick asked, "Severus, if you don't mind my asking, what is this young lady to you?"

Severus looked up at his grandfather before looking over at Lily. The woman was staring at him with her beautiful green eyes that shone like gemstones and reflected the love he felt for her. Her gorgeous smile was presented to him with no hesitation, the way it always had been when they first became friends. Severus loved Lily and knew that there would be no other woman for him in his life. And he knew that even when he died, he would love no one other than Lily. Holding her hand he laced their fingers together and smiled lovingly at her before answering, _"Mo anam cara._ Lily is _mo anam cara_ to me, _daideo."_

Roderick couldn't help but smile as he witnessed the adoration for Lily that Severus had in his eyes. He was happy that his grandchild from his only daughter had found love as young as he was, and that the love he found was reciprocated. He had no doubt there were trials between them, but they were stronger than that and that if they ever faced any more, they would pull through. And if he thought about it, Severus and Lily reminded him of him and his love.

Just then, another person stepped into Roderick's portrait, gaining his, Lily, and Severus' attention. The person was a woman, set to look in her mid to late thirties and she had brown hair tied in a shoulder length braid. Atop her head was an intricately-woven shamrock and heather wreath, made to look like a crown. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel and she wore an elegant light magenta dress with green vines embroidered along the neckline and bottom of the dress, as well as down the sleeves. Her face was fair and her smile was lovely and welcoming. Smiling down at Severus and Lily, the woman said, "Hello there, and welcome to Prince Manor."

"Hello," Severus and Lily said simultaneously.

Roderick smiled lovingly at the woman and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek before turning back to the two looking up at them. Smiling he said, "Severus, Ms. Evans, this is Muirrean Prince, my wife and _a chuisle mo chroí._ The pulse of my heart," he translated.

 _"_ _Móraí,"_ Severus said in amazement. He never knew what his grandparents looked like, but seeing them together right in front of him, even in their younger years, was a sight to behold to him. And he had to admit that they made a beautiful couple and had to have been just as wondrous when they were still living.

Muirrean smiled and said, "Severus, my grandson. It is lovely to meet you at last. I see so much of Eibhlin in you. And it is lovely to meet you as well, Ms. Evans."

"Just Lily, please," Lily said with a smile. She leant against Severus and allowed him to wrap his arms around her shoulders. Before long the four of them were wrapped up in conversation, mostly revolving around the Prince family and what Severus' school life had been like. Needless to say Roderick was furious, saying that it was uncouth for a Prince to be treated so poorly.

Of course when Severus admitted that he had called Lily a Mudblood out of humiliation and thus ending their friendship for five to six years, Roderick was even more furious. He scolded his twenty-two year old grandson, telling him that no Prince would ever insult anyone they cared about, especially about their magical heritage. However seeing how the man had suffered afterwards, Roderick told him that that was punishment enough and that despite taking the Dark Mark and technically being a Death Eater, the cause he was doing it for was a good one and that the old coot (Dumbledore) should be proud that he joined his cause. Muirrean congratulated Severus on his accomplishments as the youngest Potions Master and for becoming a fine man despite all of his hardships. She then thanked Lily for forgiving Severus, giving him a second chance, and for loving him unconditionally.

They all talked so long that they were surprised when they heard the sound of a clock bell ring out eleven times, indicating that it was an hour before midnight. Lily then remembered that she had originally been on her way to the kitchen to get something to eat, but she was so tired as well as hungry. Deciding to just go to bed and call Inka to bring her food there, she bid Roderick and Muirrean 'goodnight' and kissed Severus on his lips before leaving the parlor. Once she was gone Severus turned back to the portrait to see his grandparents smiling down at him.

"She is a keeper, Severus. Don't let go of her," Roderick said as he held Muirrean to him by her waist. Muirrean nodded and said, "Take care of her and keep her safe, dear. You will only find someone like her once in your life, and I believe this is it."

Severus nodded and thanked them both before bidding them 'goodnight'. He told them he would speak to them in the morning before he left for Hogwarts again, and then he left the parlor and headed back upstairs. He stopped in at the Prince Nursery to check on Harry, seeing that he was still sleeping peacefully, before going to his and Lily's bedroom. Upon entering he laughed as he saw Lily eating in her nightgown, a smudge of sauce on both her cheeks. Severus closed the door and took his clothes off, leaving himself in his boxers before climbing into bed next to his love. Taking the napkin on the tray in Lily's lap, he wiped her face clean before giving her a kiss on her lips.

"I love you so much, Lily," Severus softly said, smiling as he pushed her red hair gently behind her ear.

Lily swallowed her mouthful of food before replying with a smile of her own, "And I love you more, Sev."

Severus chuckled and said, "Impossible."

The two of them laughed softly and talked for a while as Lily continued eating. When she finished, Inka arrived to take the tray away and Lily got out of bed to go brush her teeth in the bathroom before returning to Severus' side. She snuggled up to him and sighed contentedly when she felt his strong, bare arms wrap around her and a hand caress her stomach right over where their baby resided. Lily heard Severus turn off the lights with a simple _Nox_ and the two of them drifted off into a content sleep.

* * *

Petunia grumbled to herself as she descended the staircase of her home. She had gone to bed early and was rather upset at having been woken up by a constant knocking and ringing of the doorbell. Wrapping her purple satin robe around her she walked down the hallway leading to the front door and opened it, her blue eyes widening in surprise at her visitor.

"Swarthy?" Petunia asked as she looked at the long haired man standing once again on her doorstep.

"It's Sirius," Sirius said before clearing his throat. "Listen, I know we didn't get off to the right start earlier today and I was clearly in the wrong for my actions, but I wanted to just say that I am sorry for what I said about you and Lily. Dumbledore told me that she's your sister and it was wrong of me to say that."

The blonde woman regarded the wizard with a suspicious look, watching how he scratched the back of his head nervously. Crossing her arms she asked, "And what of Snape? Are you going to apologize for what you said about him to his face later on?"

Sirius scowled and little and gave a shrug, mumbling, "I'll think about it."

"Well, thank you anyway for the apology, Mr…" Petunia said, trailing off.

"Black, Sirius Black," Sirius said holding out his hand. Petunia shook it and said, "Thank you, Mr. Black. Now if you will excuse me, it's eleven-thirty and I would like to get back to sleep. I do have to work tomorrow."

Just as Petunia was about to close the door, it was stopped by Sirius placing his hand on it. Looking up at him, she asked, "What is it?"

Sirius gave a sheepish grin and said, "I uh, don't have a place to stay. And I was hoping, if you don't mind, if it would be alright if I stayed with you."

"What?!" Petunia exclaimed absolutely astonished. "Are you pulling my leg? I've heard stories about you and your personality from Lily. I think it was you and that wretched dead husband of hers that nearly ruined my wedding. And then you show up today and ruin my nephew's birthday party, insult me, Lily, and Snape. Why in the name of the Queen would I let you stay here?"

"I know, I know, I've come off very undesirable and I've done a lot of things that I should be ashamed of. But I can say that I am ashamed for how I behaved today and how I insulted you. I didn't even know you and just insulted you from how I saw you at the time, just like I always did with Sniv- uh, Snape. You had every right to hit me with that paddle. But I promise that I will pull my own weight and help out around here if you let me stay. And I will even try and get along with Snape whenever he comes over with Lily and Harry. Just, just give me a chance. Please, Petunia?" Sirius said, looking like a dog with his tail tucked. He looked at Petunia, anxiously awaiting her answer. He also began to take in her appearance. The blonde woman was thin and tall; taller than Lily, but shorter than him. Her neck was kind of long as well, but it suited her. Her face wasn't pinched at all, in fact it was fair and her blue eyes sparkled. And then there were her legs, those long, smooth looking bare legs sticking out from under her robe; they were gorgeous.

"Alright, you can stay. But you so much as slip up even once, you are out of here; no exceptions," Petunia said, her voice bringing the wizard out of his thoughts.

Grey eyes met blue and he smiled at her, thanking her gratefully as she stepped aside and allowed him entrance into her home, closing and locking the door behind her. And as Petunia led Sirius upstairs to her old bedroom that she converted into a guest bedroom, she couldn't help but shake her head and wonder what in the world she just got herself into.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks so much to kcrutcher123 for the whole scene concerning Severus, Lily, Roderick, and Muirrean. You are the best and your ideas have helped more than I can say. I hope everyone has enjoyed this chapter and plan to stay tuned for more to come. Love, SehunsBae37.**


	17. Chapter 17

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

 **Author's Note: Thanks so much to kcrutcher123 for beta-ing my story! I hope everyone likes this chapter. Love, SehunsBae37.**

Coming Back to You

Chapter 17: Petunia's Week with Sirius

Severus woke up to light tapping on his cheek, making him moan softly and crack a black eye open. He smiled when he saw Harry smiling down at him and smiled wider when Harry softly said, "Hi daddy."

Sitting up, Severus grabbed Harry and sat him in his lap, hugging him close as he replied, "Good morning, little one."

It was August 1st and the Potions Master was due back at Hogwarts. He didn't want to leave Lily and Harry, but he also didn't need Dumbledore on his ass about not showing up and preparing for the upcoming year. He would be introduced as the new Potions professor since Slughorn was retiring, so he needed to get his lesson plans and whatnot together.

Speaking of Lily he turned his head and smiled when he saw the red hair sprawled all over the pillow, Lily's face hidden within the red tresses. One thing about Lily he realized over the months that they were together, she was a bit of a wild sleeper which explained the mess of her hair. But ever since finding out she was pregnant, she had settled down in her sleeping, but her hair somehow still ended up all over her head. Chuckling softly Severus gently moved Lily's hair out of her face before bending down and kissing her forehead. In a soft voice he said, "Wake up, Lily-flower."

Lily let out a soft groan before opening her green eyes and smiling up at the dark haired man. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when Harry exclaimed, "Mummy! Mummy awake! Hi!"

"Yes, mummy is awake. Good morning, Harry. And good morning, Sev," Lily said as she sat up, allowing Harry to crawl into her lap and hug her as Severus kissed her lips. When the kiss ended Lily frowned and asked, "Do you have to leave this morning?"

Severus sighed and nodded, replying, "Yes, unfortunately. I will try to return as soon as I can."

Lily nodded as she watched Severus get out of the bed and put his clothes back on. Once he was dressed he sat back on the bed and hugged Lily while being careful of Harry who was still seated on Lily's lap. He kissed her once again and said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Lily said with a sad smile, hating that her lover had to leave.

Severus leaned down and kissed Harry on his forehead before saying, "You be good now, alright Harry."

Harry nodded and asked, "Daddy leaving?" When Severus nodded Harry reached up, gently gripped Severus' black locks and tugged him forward so he could kiss his nose. With a smile he said, "Bye bye, daddy."

Severus and Lily smiled before they said 'goodbye' and Severus left the bedroom. When Severus made it to the first floor, he detoured to the parlor where Roderick's portrait was. Walking in he looked up at the portrait and saw his grandfather sitting in his chair with his eyes closed, seemingly sleeping. Truthfully he probably was, but he could be just enjoying the quiet. Clearing his throat Severus said, _"_ _Daideo."_

Roderick lifted his head and looked down at Severus, smiling when he saw his grandson. Standing up he took a few steps forward before saying, "Good morning, Severus. Are you on your way out?"

"Yes sir, I have to get back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore is _awaiting_ my arrival," Severus explained, the distaste evident in his voice.

Roderick chuckled and said, "Well I hope to see you again soon. And do not worry about Ms. Evans and the other occupants. Muirrean told me about the others and Lily's son and we will make sure to watch out for them for you. And if it helps, you can talk to my portrait in Hogwarts. It is hanging near the entrance to the Great Hall, but I will come find you if I need to tell you something important or to just check in on you."

Severus nodded and thanked him before wondering if he should tell Roderick that Lily was pregnant. The only people that knew about it were Madame Pomfrey, Minerva, and Dumbledore. Deciding to do so he said, "Just so you know, Lily is pregnant, and with my child."

Roderick looked surprised but he quickly grinned and said, "Congratulations, Severus. I am so happy to learn that you two are expecting and that the Prince bloodline will continue."

"Yes, it came as a bit of a shock to me. Especially since Lily wasn't the one to tell me about it," Severus said, rubbing the back of his head. "The old man knew and refused to tell me. I overheard Minerva urging him to tell me but he refused."

"That old coot is such a meddler, I didn't like him when I was alive and I still don't now," Roderick said, his dislike for Dumbledore apparent on his face.

Severus smiled a little at the look on his grandfather's face before saying, "Please watch out for them while I am gone, and if Lily needs any sort of medical attention, please send Inka or Wimmy to get Madame Pomfrey."

Roderick nodded and replied, "No worries, Severus. I hope to see you again soon."

The Potions Master nodded and bid his grandfather 'goodbye' before leaving the parlor, exiting the manor completely, walking past the wards protecting the ancient home and Disapparating away to Hogwarts.

* * *

Petunia sighed as she stepped out of the shower that morning, squeezing the excess water out of her blonde hair before putting her bathrobe on. She smiled at herself in the mirror and was reaching to grab a towel to wrap her wet hair in when the sound of a crash caught her attention. Startled by the sound she rushed out of the bathroom and down the hall to the stairs. Running down the stairs she entered the kitchen where the source of the crash came from, and stopped abruptly as she let out a gasp.

There was a pan on the stove and it was smoking horribly, as well as a broken bowl full of some sort of brownish red muck on the floor. The kitchen itself was a complete mess and standing looking sheepish and covered in flour and broken egg shell was Sirius.

Sirius let out a nervous chuckle before saying, "Um, good morning, Petunia."

Petunia's eye twitched before she put her face in her hands, letting out a huge sigh. Taking a deep breath she asked, "What did you do?"

"Well, I was going to try and make you breakfast and hopefully surprise you with it."

"I am definitely surprised, so you accomplished that. Do you even know how to cook?"

When Sirius scratched the back of his head and looked away from the blonde woman, Petunia sighed again and said, "Clean this up right now. I am going to go finish getting ready for work and now I'm going to have to stop by the market before I come home. Just, just clean."

Petunia turned around and left the kitchen, rubbing her temple as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Sirius had only been there for less than twelve hours and already he was giving her a headache. Hopefully it couldn't get any worse.

* * *

"I'm back from work and the market, Sirius!" Petunia called as she entered her home. She walked down the hallway and to the kitchen to deposit her shopping bags, pleased to see the kitchen looking back the way it was supposed to be. As she put away the groceries she had bought she called out, "Sirius!"

Getting no response Petunia paused in her actions and walked into the living room to see if the wizard was there. Seeing that he wasn't she walked up the stairs and walked to the room she let Sirius stay in and saw that he wasn't there either. Frowning she got herself to call for him again when she heard a thump coming from her bedroom. Leaving Sirius' room she walked down the hall to hers and stepped inside, her blue eyes widening at what she saw.

Sirius was standing in her room in front of her full length mirror holding one of her bras to his chest and looking at himself. Gasping she ran over to the man and snatched her bra out of his hands. Petunia pushed the man's shoulder before slapping him across the face, causing him to hiss in pain and hold his cheek while looking at the woman in shock.

"How dare you go through my clothes and take my bra! And what are you doing in here anyway?!" Petunia screeched, quite frankly upset with the man.

"Sorry, I was just curious," Sirius said, flashing his trademark grin that made women melt. He hoped this would get him out of trouble with the Muggle woman, but he didn't completely count on her having the same temper (if not worse) than Lily. The wizard was once again slapped and pushed against, his ear being yelled off about him having no respect for others and that just because he thought he was the best thing since sliced bread didn't give him the right to go through other people's belongings, especially if they were female. Needless to say when Petunia was done with Sirius, he felt ten times worse than he ever did whenever Lily had gone off on him and James back in school. And as she threw him out of her room and made him sit in the living room while she prepared dinner, Sirius wondered if he was going to survive living in a house with a Muggle woman.

* * *

Two days had passed since the bra incident and Petunia was seriously considering throwing Sirius out of her house. The man was so incapable of doing anything that pertained to the slightest bit of housework. She had asked him to mow the lawn the day before and when she went to check on him thirty minutes later, the green yard looked like it had an awful shave and he was struggling to pull his shirt out of the machine. She had then asked him to simply wash her car only to find the windows down and the car filled with soapy water. And then for today she had asked him to do some laundry. And what did she find when she came home from work? Soap suds leading from the washroom to the front door, wet clothes everywhere, and Sirius' clothes covered in bleach. Sirius, seeing Petunia's face turning red with rage, quickly cast a cleaning charm so everything was somewhat clean and headed upstairs to go and shower.

Once the clothes were washed correctly and in the dryer, Petunia sat down at the dining table and placed her face in her hands. It had only been three days and she was about to reach her limit with Sirius. The wizard was good-looking, but that was all he really had going for him. This wouldn't be the first time that she had an incapable man in the house, though. She envied Lily at the moment; the redhead had a man that was surely capable of Muggle work and could easily do it with no problems. Sighing she ran her hand through her blonde hair, hoping her patience would hold out.

"Petunia?" a deep voice called out. Petunia looked to the side to see Sirius standing at the entrance of the kitchen, wet hair tied into a bun and he was dressed in clean, dry clothes. Sirius rubbed the back of his neck before walking over to the dining table, taking a seat across from the blonde.

Petunia looked at him as he seemed to be getting his thoughts together. She wondered what it was that he was going to say. Hopefully it wasn't any ridiculous rubbish or she would smack him again.

Sirius finally seemed to know what he wanted to say and he said, "Look, I'm really sorry. All I have done so far this week is cause trouble for you and more work for you to do than necessary. I don't know how to do Muggle housework; I'm so used to relying on magic and House Elves to do all the work. But I've never had to really do anything myself, let alone be bossed around by a woman to do anything. Well, unless you count my mother, but I don't. To be honest I thought that doing Muggle things was a joke and rather easy, but I can see that I was wrong. I watch you do these things and you do them so effortlessly; I have to admit that I am a bit jealous. Petunia, I know I have messed up a lot, but I just don't want you to think bad of me. I promise to try harder and to not wreck the house while you are gone to work in the library. You're probably close to kicking me out but give me another chance to prove myself."

Blue eyes stared into grey, seeing the sincerity in them. It was a bit hard to believe it, especially with all that she knew of this man from her sister, but Petunia could see that Sirius was, well, serious. He really wanted to try and make their arrangement work out. But was she really going to suffer through the rest of this week with this man? He really didn't know how to do anything on his own and made a disaster when left alone. Like she said, the only thing he had going for him was his good looks. But then again his determination was rather endearing, so much so that it made him cute.

Giving in Petunia nodded her head and said, "Alright, alright. Well lucky for you I am off tomorrow, so I will be spending all day showing you how to do _basic_ work. And no magic allowed; there are no shortcuts to everything in the Muggle World."

There was a smile on Petunia's fair face as she crossed her arms, making Sirius smile himself and even chuckle a little. The blonde woman was giving him another chance and he prayed to Merlin that he didn't mess up this time.

* * *

Two days later Sirius was in the kitchen cooking dinner. The day before Petunia showed him how to make a simple recipe from one of her many cookbooks and he was bound to try one out himself. Petunia would be home from work in half an hour and he wanted to have everything set on the table by the time she walked through the door. So far he was doing well; nothing had burned, so that was a plus. Now all he had to do was make sure everything was finished cooking properly and transferred to the two plates waiting to be filled with food.

Earlier that day he had stepped out and gone to a wizard winery to get a bottle of wine. The bottle he bought was a wine that his parents liked and he even had to admit they had good taste. He hoped that Petunia liked it along with everything else that he had done. He just really wanted her to like it, but above all he wanted it to be special and show his appreciation to and for her.

When the magical timer went off, indicating that the food he had cooked was ready; he put a helping of each dish on the plates and carried them to the table, setting them across from each other. The silverware was already in place as well as the wine glasses. Sirius got the wine out of the refrigerator and opened it, filling the glasses with the red liquid. Placing the bottle on the table he conjured up some candles and lit them before looking at his hard work. Nodding to himself he checked the clock and saw that the half hour was over, followed by hearing a car door close. A minute later the front door opened and Petunia entered, her voice calling out, "I'm home!"

The wizard went to greet the woman with a smile, saying, "Welcome home, Petunia."

Petunia gave a smile before her nose caught the whiff of cooked food. It smelled….delicious. What in the world had Sirius done while she was gone? Voicing her thoughts, she was surprised to see the normally confident man blushing. Sirius led her to the dining table and she gasped at what she saw. Had Sirius really cooked all of this by himself?

"Sit please, and let's eat," Sirius said, pulling out a chair for the blonde to sit in.

 _He sure is being gentlemanly,_ Petunia couldn't help but think, a smile appearing on her face as he pushed her up to the table. She waited for Sirius to sit before she said grace over the food, (something Sirius found out to be really important to do in Muggle culture), and they began to eat. The moment Petunia took a bite of the food Sirius made, Sirius' grey eyes stayed trained on her face watching her reaction to it. She however was making no expression to indicate whether or not she liked the food except one of complete and utter thought. After she had sampled everything on her plate her blue eyes looked up to the nervous wizard, watching as he lightly bit on his lower lip.

"Sirius," Petunia began, "this food…is delicious! I can't believe that this is only your second time cooking, and you did it while I was gone!"

Sirius couldn't believe his ears. Petunia really liked his food! Even with this exciting news he couldn't help but ask, "Do you really like it?"

Petunia nodded with a smile and answered, "Of course! The meat may be a tad overcooked, but overall this is wonderful. And the wine is absolutely divine!"

"I'm glad you think so. I really wanted to do something special for you to show my appreciation to you and to make up for all of my mistakes this week."

"You didn't have to do this, but thank you anyway. It was very sweet of you, Sirius and I love it."

"Thank you, Petunia. And maybe when you have time, you can teach me how to properly use the lawn mower."

The blonde giggled and nodded, saying, "Of course."

The two of them continued to eat and talk, Petunia still not completely over how well Sirius had prepared the meal. When they had finished eating, Sirius carried their dirty dishes to the sink and placed them in it. Turning back to the blonde he said, "I didn't have time to make dessert or anything; sorry."

Petunia shook her head and said, "It's alright. Besides, I have ice cream in the freezer; we can eat that."

Sirius grinned and agreed, grabbing bowls out of the cabinet and spoons from the drawer while Petunia grabbed the vanilla ice cream from the freezer. And as she prepared their separate bowls of ice cream, Sirius couldn't help but think that he was happy that the attractive woman was pleased with him for the first time since he arrived to stay at her house. Despite their rocky start Sirius could admit that he had developed a bit of a crush on Petunia. She was such a spitfire, he loved it about her and she didn't take his crap like other women seemed to. James had once told him that he would meet his match in a female one day, and he believed that Petunia was it. Now all he had to do was make sure he didn't mess up anymore and maybe Petunia would start to like him back. Only Merlin knew whether or not that was going to happen.


	18. Chapter 18

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 18: Lily's Ultrasound

A month had passed and Lily was almost a full five months pregnant. So far she enjoyed it and spent most of her time talking with Alice about it. Frank would listen often but he would usually watch Neville and Harry around those times. Alice was excited about the new baby and hoped that Lily and Severus had a little girl. Lily had thought about having a daughter and found that she didn't mind the idea; she just wondered if Severus would be alright with a daughter. Knowing the man the way she did, she figured he wouldn't care what gender child they had, just as long as it was healthy.

However the one thing that seemed to concern Lily was how big her stomach was for just about five months. Her stomach looked like it was about seven months along already, and she knew she was nowhere near that amount pregnant. Currently she was sitting in the parlor where Muirrean's portrait was talking with the woman. She couldn't find Harry one day and went searching for him, ending up finding him in a parlor she hadn't been in before and looking up at the portrait and talking to Muirrean. Ever since then she would go to that parlor to speak with Severus' grandmother, Roderick appearing every now and again.

Lily listened to Muirrean tell her about a story of Eileen and her brother Roderick Jr. going off on an adventure without their parents' knowledge and ended up in a lot of trouble with Roderick when they returned. The redhead giggled softly at the picture, not really being able to see Eileen doing something like that from what she remembered of Severus' mother.

Even though she was engaged in the conversation, Lily couldn't help but worry about the life growing inside of her. Was something else growing in her womb causing her stomach to expand the way it was? If so, was it causing harm to her baby? She rubbed her stomach gently before looking up at Muirrean who was looking down at her in concern.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Muirrean asked.

"Well, it's just that I'm afraid something may be wrong," Lily answered.

Muirrean stood up from the bench made of vines and twisted woods and was covered in Forget Me Nots and walked toward the foreground of her portrait. Stopping she asked, "What do you mean?"

Lily sighed and said, "I mean, I'm only about to be five months pregnant, and I look as if I am already seven. I'm afraid something else is growing inside me causing my stomach to look this way."

"Have you considered that maybe you are having more than one child?" Roderick suddenly asked as he entered his wife's portrait. Muirrean smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, Roderick smiling lovingly and returning her kiss, only on her lips this time.

"No, I hadn't considered that. But I think I need an ultrasound just in case nothing is wrong," Lily said.

Roderick nodded and called out for Wimmy who appeared a second later. After instructing her to go to Hogwarts and bring back Madame Pompfrey, he turned back to Lily and told her he was sure everything would be fine. While Wimmy was gone, Alice walked into the parlor with Harry in her arms, the toddler immediately squirming to be put down at the sight of his mother. Harry ran to Lily the moment Alice put him on the carpeted floor and reached up to be held. Lily smiled and picked her son up, sitting him on her lap and listened to him tell her about the playing he and Neville had just done. When she asked her best friend where Neville was, Alice told her that he was taking a nap with Frank.

Ten minutes later Wimmy returned with Madame Pompfrey and she was happy to see Lily, Alice, and Harry once again. She greeted Roderick and Muirrean politely before asking Lily if she was comfortable having the ultrasound there on the couch or on her bed. Lily thought for a moment and decided that she was fine where she was for the time being. Nodding Madame Pompfrey told Alice to help the red haired woman to lie on her back on the couch before she started doing her charms.

Once Lily was situated the MediWitch said, "Now I am going to start doing a series of wand movements that will do the charm to create a magical ultrasound. It is designed to look like a Muggle ultrasound and you will be able to see your baby. And if anything unnatural is going on inside of your womb with your baby, I will see if I can do anything to fix it without harming the unborn child."

Lily nodded and said, "Alright then, I'm ready."

Madame Pompfrey nodded and lifted her wand, twisting and waving it in the air while Lily, Alice, Harry, Roderick, and Muirrean looked on. A minute later and white light appeared at the end of the MediWitch's wand and she pointed it at Lily's rounded stomach. The same white light surrounded the redhead's pregnant stomach before two purple strings of magic rose from the surrounding light and rose in the air, twisting around each other until they formed a magical projector screen. The same purple magic that created the projector lit up the screen before it showed a black and white picture of the inside of Lily's womb.

Happy tears filled Lily's green eyes as she stared at the screen. There in front of her was hers and Severus' baby, the creation of life that they created from their love for each other. Alice grinned as she held Harry, pointing up at the screen and said, "Look, Harry. There is your little brother or sister."

Harry looked up at the screen before looking at his mother in confusion. He looked back at the screen and asked, "Baby?"

"Yes darling, that is a baby. It is mummy and daddy's baby, and you are going to be a big brother," Lily said looking at her first child. Harry gazed at his mother in awe before he smiled and clapped happily. Roderick and Muirrean looked on with proud smiles on their faces before Muirrean said, "And what of Lily's oversized stomach? We do need to make sure there is nothing wrong."

"Absolutely, Lady Prince. Let me do a charm so that you can hear the fetus' heartbeat and if something sounds abnormal along with the sound of the heartbeat, I will take a closer look," Madame Pompfrey said before doing said charm.

A few seconds later the parlor was filled with the sound of the baby's fast heartbeat. However the heartbeat sounded strange, almost as if it had more than one heartbeat. The sound worried Lily and she looked at the MediWitch in concern.

"What is it? What is wrong?" Lily asked, taking Alice's hand anxiously looking for some sort of comfort.

Madame Pompfrey looked at the ultrasound a little closer before a surprised expression overtook her features. Placing a hand over her mouth she said, "Oh, my word. I can't believe this."

Alice looked alarmed and asked, "It's not anything bad, is it?"

Shaking her head, Madame Pompfrey answered, "On the contrary, this is a blessing and has never been seen before in a Muggleborn witch. Lily, you are having more than one baby. To be exact, you are having triplets."

 _"_ _Triplets?!"_ Lily, Alice, and Roderick all exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes, triplets. I can tell you their gender now as well, if you would like," Madame Pompfrey said as she looked at the former Hogwarts student. Lily looked dumbfounded for a moment before swallowing hardly and nodding. The older woman nodded and looked back at the ultrasound, using her wand to move the image so she could look closely at each of the babies. Finally she said, "Baby 1 here is a girl, Baby 2 is a boy, and Baby 3 is…well, I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?" Muirrean asked.

Madame Pompfrey looked up at the portrait and answered, "The baby is in a position where its genitals are being covered, so I cannot tell whether it is a boy or girl yet."

Muirrean nodded satisfied with the answer before hugging her husband, excited with the news of hearing that she and Roderick would have not only one, but three great-grandchildren and future heirs to the Prince Family, as well as carrying on the Prince bloodline. Roderick smiled and said, "This is wonderful news. Someone needs to tell Severus about this. Actually, let me do so since I do have a portrait hanging in Hogwarts."

Roderick kissed Muirrean on her cheek before leaving her portrait, presumably on his way to tell his grandson about Lily's ultrasound. As soon as he was gone Madame Pompfrey cancelled her charm and told Lily's that she had to return to Hogwarts, but congratulated her before leaving with Wimmy so she could be taken back to the school.

Alice helped Lily to sit up before saying, "Wow, you're having three babies. Who would have thought that Severus' seeds were so strong to create three children inside of you?"

Lily, who had still been in shock, flushed at her best friend's words and lightly punched her in the arm. She smiled and rubbed her stomach lovingly. She still couldn't believe that she and Severus were going to have triplets, but she knew that they would be loved and cared for no matter what. And above all, she would protect them, even if it meant her life.

* * *

Severus was busy grading papers from his Fourth Year Potions Class, grumbling to himself about how stupid his students seemed to be. He had asked them to write a report on the benefits of unicorn blood and they apparently couldn't even do that right. Sighing he finished grading the report he had before putting down his quill and leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes as he rubbed his aching forehead.

"Severus?" a voice called out to him. Turning he saw Roderick standing in a simple portrait of an empty library, a look of pride on his face.

Sitting up Severus asked, "What is it, _daideo_?"

Roderick smiled brightly as he said, "Poppy Pompfrey gave Lily an ultrasound today, and I have come to bring you wonderful news."

"Are they both healthy?" Severus immediately asked, referring to both Lily and their unborn child. He hadn't been able to see Lily in a month and he was missing her and Harry terribly.

"All of them are doing wonderfully," Roderick answered.

Severus frowned and asked, "'All'?" What do you mean 'all'?"

"I mean that Lily is having more than one child," Roderick said simply. With a grin he said, "Congratulations, _garpháiste;_ you are going to be the father of triplets."


	19. Chapter 19

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 19: Lucius is Discovered

"Tr-Tr-Triplets? _Triplets?!_ " Severus stammered as he was overcome with shock. Lily was having _triplets_?

Roderick nodded and replied, "Yes, you two are having triplets. It is rather surprising considering that she is a Muggleborn and it sometimes takes Pureblood's years before they have just one child. Though I shouldn't be surprised; men of Prince family decent have always been very fertile. My father impregnated my mother with me just days after their own wedding."

Severus blinked before she covered his face and mumbled uncomfortably, " _Daideo,_ please."

The Prince Lord chuckled before asking, "Are you going to go and see Lily or should I return and give her a message?"

The wizard sat there for a moment before saying, "I'm done with classes for the time being. I'll step out for a while so I can see Lily and Harry before returning for the Order meeting tonight."

"Albus won't be pleased," Roderick said with an impish smile, not looking at all concerned about what the Headmaster would think.

"I know," Severus replied with his own smirk. "But I will alert Minerva, though. At least she stands by me concerning Lily."

Roderick nodded and watched as his grandson sent off his Patronus before leaving his office. Roderick returned to his own personal portrait in Hogwarts to await Severus' arrival in Prince Manor.

* * *

Minerva watched as the last student in her second year Transfiguration class leave her classroom before flicking her wand and tidying up the desks. No sooner had she done so a glowing and misty doe pranced through the wall and into the classroom. Her eyes widening she said, "Lily."

The doe shook its head before standing in front of the Deputy Headmistress. It lightly stomped its hoof before it said, _Minerva, I've gone to see Lily. I just found out that we are having not one, but three babies and I wanted to be with her before the Order meeting tonight. You can tell Albus I stepped out, or not; I don't really care. I will return soon."_

Minverva was a little surprised to see that the Patronus possessed Severus' voice and not Lily's, though she shouldn't have been surprised. She had heard of couple's trading Patronus animals, but that was only if they had a powerful love or were soul mates.

A chuckle escaped her mouth when she couldn't wait to tell Albus this bit of information. The great wizard had been so sure that Lily and James were meant to be because their Patronus' were mates, but this would definitely knock him off of his chair. She was sure Severus wouldn't mind; after all, he said he didn't care if she told him that he left or not. Another chuckle escaped her lips before she composed herself as her fourth year Transfiguration class began to trickle in her classroom.

* * *

Severus walked through the doors of Prince Manor, giving a greet to Inka as he did so before following the little House Elf to a parlor he hadn't been in. It was there that he found Lily, Harry, and Alice. His presence caught Lily's attention and she smiled at him, love shining in her green eyes.

"Sev," Lily said as the dark haired man stepped forward. Alice excused herself and left the parlor, giving the family some time alone. Also she wanted to see if her son and husband had woken from their nap yet. Most likely not; they could both sleep like the dead if they wanted.

Harry looked up from his lap where he was playing with the stuffed black bunny rabbit that Severus had given him almost a year ago and squealed in delight when he saw his daddy. Reaching for him he exclaimed, "Daddy! Daddy home!"

"Yes, I'm home, Harry," Severus said with a smile as he picked up the toddler, holding him close as he nuzzled his little cheek. Harry giggled and kissed Severus' nose before saying, "Daddy, I be big bwudder."

Severus and Lily chuckled at Harry's pronunciation of 'brother' before the man sat down next to his love and kissed her passionately on her lips. When he pulled away he said, "Grandpa told me the news. You're having triplets."

Lily shook her head before saying, " _We're_ having triplets. You had a hand in it too, remember?"

"Ah, of course," Severus replied with a playful smile. Lily giggled and kissed the man she loved once more before being asked a series of questions about what potions she needed, was she eating enough, did she feel off, et cetera.

An amused chuckle was heard before Muirrean said, "Severus dear, don't overwhelm her. Lily is just fine and is being cared for and looked after."

"She's right, Sev. I am being taken care of during my pregnancy, more so than I was when I was pregnant with Harry," Lily said reassuringly.

Severus nodded with a sigh as he said, "I just want to make sure because I'm not here all of the time."

Lily smiled in adoration for Severus and laid her head on his shoulder as she took his hand in hers. Harry was busy playing with Severus' long strands as Roderick and Muirrean engaged the couple in conversation, not at all listening to whatever his parents were talking about with the portraits. An hour later Lily grew weary and excused herself so that she could take a nap. Severus stood with her, holding Harry in his arm, and told his grandparents he would see them later. Taking the red haired woman's hand in his he led her up the stairs to their bedroom and helped her into bed, placing Harry down next to her.

Green eyes looked up at him sleepily before Lily asked, "How much longer do you have?"

"About another hour or so. I'm finished with classes for the day and only have to wait for the Order of the Phoenix meeting later tonight," Severus replied.

Lily smiled and patted the space on the other side of Harry and said, "Then lie down with me for a while. Pretty please?"

Severus chuckled at the still adorable puppy eyes Lily gave him before taking off his robes and lying down next to his family. Harry was already asleep and he snuggled close to Severus when he felt him settle down next to him. Severus smiled softly at the little one's action before wrapping his long arm around him and Lily, holding them close as they drifted off into the world of sleep.

* * *

Narcissa glanced nervously at the grandfather clock sitting against the wall in the parlor. Lucius had been summoned by the Dark Lord over three hours ago and had yet to return. The meeting ran as long as an hour at most, so what could be keeping her husband? She didn't like his work as a double agent along with Severus, but she also wanted to have the world safe and her son not a target for a future Death Eater.

A tap on her leg made her look down into grey eyes so much like Lucius' and smiled. Leaning down Narcissa picked up her baby boy and sat him on her lap, holding him as she felt him gently grab her hair. It was quiet for a moment before Draco said, "I miss Harry."

The blond witch smiled as she thought about her son's want for Harry Potter. In truth Harry is the only friend Draco has and he hasn't seen him since before Severus put Lily and Harry in hiding. Lucius had told her that Severus had put them in his family home, but even they didn't know where it was located so she had no way of visiting even if she wanted.

Rubbing Draco's back she said, "Maybe when daddy comes back we can ask him to take us to Uncle Severus and see what he says. Would you like that?"

"Yes, please!" Draco said excitedly, his grey eyes shining as he looked up at his mother.

Narcissa giggled as she kissed his forehead before putting him back on the carpet and told him to play with his toys. As soon as Draco walked back over to his toys, Narcissa went back to worrying over her husband. She found herself looking back at the clock and started to bite on her lip in worry. Where could Lucius be?!

A loud thud was heard coming from the direction of the foyer, making Narcissa jump and stand in alarm, her wand immediately in her hand. A loud squeaky scream sounded next as Jacey called out, "Mistress! Come quick! It's Master Lucius!"

Narcissa quickly ran towards the foyer as she told another House Elf to watch Draco, her mind racing with different scenarios about what could be wrong with Lucius. When she finally reached the foyer she stopped in her tracks, her blood running cold as she gazed down at her husband.

Lucius was lying on his side in a bloody mess, his face beaten and bruised and it looked like he was struggling to breath. Gasping in shock Narcissa rushed to her husband's side and turned him over onto his back, starting when he let out a cry of pain from her touch. She quickly told Jacey to go and get her a cold, wet cloth before turning back to Lucius who was staring up at her, his pain evident in his face and eyes. Trying to keep her voice calm she asked, "Lucius, what happened? Why are you like this?"

The blond man coughed a few times before saying, "My position as a double agent was revealed to the Dark Lord. One of the Death Eaters found out and told him that I was betraying him. He summoned me so he could torture me."

"For three hours?!"

"He actually tried to kill me during the last hour, but I was able to defend myself. The other Death Eaters began to throw curses at me, trying to harm me enough so that bastard _could_ kill me. I didn't kill anyone, but I did beat some of them, however I was heavily outnumbered and my magic was depleting. I ended up Disapparating right through the ceiling of Riddle House and I landed in Severus' backyard. I passed out there for a while before I came back here, but I can't feel anything right now, Cissa."

Narcissa's blue eyes weld with tears as she gently maneuvered Lucius so his head was in her lap. Jacey returned with the cloth and the woman began to dab along her husband's face, cleaning some of the blood as well, though his facial wounds still bled. Lucius let out a painful gasp as he took a breath before saying, "We need to leave Malfoy Manor. It's not safe for us here anymore."

"Where are we going to go?" the blonde woman asked as Lucius reached up and stopped her from wiping his face with the wet cloth.

"Let's go to Dumbledore first, then we will figure out the rest," Lucius said.

Narcissa nodded and helped Lucius to stand, taking him to the parlor that she was in previous. Draco looked up as his parents entered the room but let out a cry of fright as he saw the state his father was in. Lucius looked at him and said, "It's alright, son. I'm alright, I promise. Daddy's okay."

"Daddy?" Draco asked as he walked over to his father and looked up at him with an expression of worry on his little face.

"Daddy's alright, Draco," Lucius said reassuringly, patting his son's head while Narcissa watched on in tears. She never wanted to see her husband like this, but especially not their son. She didn't want Draco exposed to the cruelties of the world so soon, but she also knew it was inevitable. Wiping her eyes she told Jacey to pack a bag for each of them and bring them to the parlor. Once all of them had a bag of their own, Jacey asked, "Is Master, Mistress, and young Master returning soon?"

Shaking her head Narcissa said, "No, not for a while, Jacey. We will return when it is safe for us to, so take care of the manor for us, please."

The House Elf nodded and watched as Narcissa shrunk their bags and placed them in the pocket of her robes before picking up Draco in her arms. She then helped Lucius to stand from the sofa before walking over to the fireplace to use the Floo Network. Lucius had reached up and taken some Floo Powder and waited until his family were in the fireplace with him, Draco's face buried in Narcissa's neck as he held onto her while Narcissa held onto his hand, before dropping the powder and saying, "Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts."

* * *

"Severus, where is Lucius? He is supposed to be here this evening," Minerva asked.

Severus shrugged and answered, "I'm not sure. When I saw him yesterday he told me he would be here in time for the meeting. I wonder what is keeping him."

Remus Lupin took on an expression of concern and asked, "You don't suppose something happened, do you?"

"There is always that possibility isn't there? Being a double agent is tough enough as is," Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody said, his fake eye rolling around in his head. "But you had him and Severus agree to being spies anyway, didn't you Albus?"

Albus looked back at the Auror before looking around at everyone that was in attendance for the Order meeting; even Sirius had shown up and he was slightly surprised that he wasn't making rude remarks towards Severus or about Lucius. Deciding to ignore Alastor he rose from behind his desk and said, "Let us get started with the meeting."

Just as soon as the Headmaster speak those words, his fireplace roared as the flames turned green, alerting everyone that someone was coming through the Floo. Five seconds later everyone gasped as they saw the Malfoy family step out of the fireplace and Lucius collapsed to the floor unconscious. Severus rushed over to his best friend and asked, "What happened?"

Narcissa bent down as well, placing Draco on the floor that ran to his uncle, and said, "That horrible wizard found out about Lucius' work as a spy for the Order; this was his way of punishing him. He tried to kill him but he got away in time. And now we can't return to our home because they will look for Lucius there and Draco and I will be in danger as well."

"Albus, they need to be put into hiding immediately," Minerva said before telling Remus to run to the Hospital Wing and get Madame Pompfrey.

Severus helped Narcissa sit Lucius' unconscious form up and try to lean him against the wall near the fireplace, all the while pulling some Essence of Dittany out of his cloak pocket and poured a bit of it on the large cut on Lucius' face so it wouldn't scar over horribly. Five minutes later Madame Pompfrey ran in and rushed right over to the blond man. She ran a diagnostic over him and waited until the paper appeared in front of her before telling Severus to levitate him up to the Hospital Wing. Narcissa and Draco followed after the MediWitch and the Potions Master while the rest of the Order of the Phoenix wondered whether they were going to be safe now that Voldemort knew about one of their two spies.


	20. Chapter 20

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 20: Lily is Spotted

A week had passed since Lucius' position as a spy was discovered and he and his family had to go into hiding. They were offered to stay in Prince Manor, but Lucius and Narcissa declined, stating that they would stay in an old Malfoy family home that not even the Death Eaters or the Dark Lord knew about. Severus, after making sure his friend and his family were alright, went off to Prince Manor to tell Lily the news. Lily had been horrified and worried, but Severus reassured her that the Malfoys were fine and that Lucius was recovering well. Narcissa wasn't leaving his side and was taking care of him like the loving wife she was.

Draco on the other hand was going to spend a week or two at Prince Manor so he could be satisfied about seeing Harry. Needless to say, Harry and Draco were very happy. And with Neville adding to the fun, all three boys were having fun together and were practically inseparable two days later. But it was just fine and Lily, Alice, Frank, and Muirrean thought it was sweet. Roderick had been wary at first about the young Malfoy boy, but with some convincing from his wife and his own observations, he saw that the boy was nothing like his ancestors that Roderick had once had the displeasure of knowing. And he too had to admit the boy was rather intelligent for just two.

At the moment Lily was soaking in a bubble bath in the large bathtub in her bathroom while Alice and Frank watched the boys. The water covered all of her, except for her large stomach. Even though it had only been going on two weeks since she found out exactly how many children she was pregnant with, it was still a little hard to believe. She was having three babies. _Three!_ It helped explain her large stomach, but even she thought it was a little too large for her liking. She was having a boy, a girl, and her last child's sex was currently unknown. But it didn't matter to Lily; just as long as the baby was healthy, she didn't care if it was a boy or girl.

Rubbing her rounded belly Lily softly said, "I'm so happy that I'm going to be having you three. Severus is very happy too, and it takes a lot to make that man happy. But I love him as he loves me, and we love you three as well. And I promise to protect you at all costs, no matter what. I know Severus will, no questions asked, but I will do my best to do the same to protect you and your big brother."

Lily felt the moving a bit and she smiled before humming a lullaby as she sunk a little deeper into the water. Yes, she was going to protect her unborn babies, even if she had to put her own life on the line.

* * *

Green eyes looked at the baby clothes laid out before her that Roderick and Muirrean helped her find. They were nice and a bit vintage looking, but considering how long they may have been packed away, it was understandable. Roderick wanted Lily to see the baby clothes that Eileen and Roderick Jr. had worn and said that since Severus was not able to wear them, he wanted his great-grandchildren to. Lily was flattered and agreed to dress her babies in the outfits when they arrived, but she also wanted to get some more baby clothes. However, she would have to go into Diagon Alley or Muggle London to do that. She remembered she had gotten a lot of really nice baby clothes from a shop in Diagon Alley when she had been pregnant with Harry and wanted to go there to pick out a few outfits and onesies for the triplets. So when Harry, Draco, and Neville had all laid down for a nap later that day and Frank and Alice were rather occupied in their own room, Lily grabbed the Prince family Portkey and silently slipped out of the manor before walking past the wards and Disapparating away with a hooded cloak on her.

She landed on the cobbled walkway of Diagon Alley and quickly pulled the hood of her cloak over her head before anyone saw her. Lily then made her way to Gringotts and walked inside and past the goblins until she reached the one at the main desk. The goblin looked down at her and asked, "May I help you, madam?"

"Yes, I would like to go into my vault, please," Lily replied, wondering if the goblin recognized her even with the hood over her head.

"Your wand, Mrs. Potter," the goblin said holding a hand out.

Lily, a little miffed that he did recognize her, handed her wand over and watched him check it to make sure she was who she was before handing it back and telling her to follow him. She did so and got into the cart with him, letting him take her down to her own personal vault. Reaching it he unlocked it for her and she stepped in, pulling the pouch she had from the pocket of the cloak and filling it with Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Once she thought she had enough she stepped out of her vault, letting the goblin close and lock it shut before being taken back to the main part of Gringotts. When they arrived back to the main room Lily bid the goblin good day and walked out of the bank, blending into the ground as she headed to the baby shop.

Walking inside Lily grabbed basket and headed for the sections for infants to three month olds, then four month to seven month olds. She picked up several outfits for both girls and boys, then got a two years supply worth of nappies and wipes. Satisfied with everything she had she went to the counter and hid an amused smile as the woman behind the counter looked shocked at the amount of inventory that was being bought. When everything was finally totaled, Lily ended up paying twenty-seven Galleons, three Sickles, and fourteen Knuts. Lily thanked the woman and took her bought items, shrinking them before placing them in her cloak pocket and leaving the shop.

As soon as Lily stepped out of the shop, she was bombarded by a whole lot of witches and wizards, all asking where she has been hiding, wanting to know how Harry was, apologizing for James' death, et cetera. Lily realized someone must have recognized her out in the street and tried to get away. However one witch grabbed her cloak and pulled on it, causing it to open and reveal her large five month pregnant stomach.

The crowd suddenly got into an uproar, wondering who it was that got Lily pregnant since James was dead. People were asking her if she was raped by Death Eaters or if she had a secret lover. Lily, becoming overwhelmed and feeling her magic about to lash out, quickly escaped the crowd and used to Portkey to leave Diagon Alley and get back to Prince Manor. However, Lily did not realize that she had decided to escape near Knockturn Alley and did not notice that Death Eaters Alecto and Amycus Carrow had spotted her in the crowd of wizards and witches and had seen her pregnant stomach. With matching sinister smirks, the both knew they would have some very interesting information to pass on to the Dark Lord.

* * *

Lily walked back into the manor, put the Portkey back in its place, and headed upstairs, smiling and greeting portraits on her way. Reaching her room she walked in and took her bought items out of her cloak pocket before enlarging them, placing them in her closet with the intent of moving things to the nursery later after looking over the baby clothes. Suddenly feeling tired she pulled back her covers and climbed in bed, ready to take a nap. She had only had her eyes closed for two minutes when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Lily called out, sitting up a little.

The door opened and Frank stepped inside with Harry in one arm, Draco in the other. Harry was whimpering and had little tears standing in his green eyes and Draco's grey ones were watching his best friend in concern. Frank walked over to the bed and placed Harry on it before saying, "Harry had a bad dream and now refuses to go back to sleep unless he's with you."

Lily frowned and held her son close to her, stroking his hair comfortingly as he sniffled and snuggled into his mother's warmth. Whispering to him that everything was okay, she then said to Frank, "Thank you for bringing him, Frank. And what about Draco?"

"He refuses to leave Harry's side," was Frank's reply.

"Draco, do you want to finish taking your nap in here with me and Harry?" Lily asked him calmly, already knowing his answer.

Draco nodded and said, "Yes, please."

The red haired woman nodded and took the little blond from Frank, allowing the man to leave and close the door behind him, and then she placed him on the other side of Harry. Lily watched as Harry fell asleep, followed by Draco who was hugging Harry close to him, before letting out a tired yawn.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go into Diagon Alley, especially with how the crowd reacted to seeing her again _and_ pregnant. She knew it would be all over the Daily Prophet tomorrow and that Severus would see it, but she decided to deal with that when the time came. Right now, she was tired and wanted to take a nap with her son and his friend. But as Lily lay down to sleep, she had no idea that a pair of twins was informing their leader about her condition.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I would like to apologize for the shortness of this chapter, as well as for the amount of time I put between uploading the chapters. Things are getting busy with school and I've been falling into a bit of slight depression. I'm starting to feel better though and will try to upload chapters a bit more frequently than I have been. Thank you to all that have been continuously reading this story and are still staying tuned for more. You guys are amazing! Love, SehunsBae37.**


	21. Chapter 21

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

 **Author's Note: I am going to diverge a little bit and focus solely on Sirius and Petunia. This chapter will be about just them, no appearance of Severus and Lily whatsoever; just Sirius and Petunia, though Remus will make an appearance. I've missed them honestly, lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. XOXO, SehunsBae37.**

Coming Back to You

Chapter 21: Sirius Confesses to Petunia

Sirius had been living with Petunia for about two months and he had to admit that it had been the best two months of his life. He couldn't believe how much he was enjoying himself, especially when he was with the older blonde woman. He couldn't believe how much of an attractive little spitfire Petunia was and he loved that about her, but she was also very sweet and caring and understanding. James had told him he would find a woman that wouldn't take his bull and he was right. In a way, Petunia reminded him of his mother, which he wasn't sure was a good or bad thing when he first realized it. But upon pondering the thought, he realized that it wasn't a bad thing due to the fact that he had often forgotten how loving, caring, and kind his own mother could be when he was first accusing her and his family for being Dark Wizards because they came out of Slytherin House. Also in doing so he realized his mistake and sent a letter of apology to both of his parents. He had yet to hear a reply, but Petunia assured him he would soon.

Currently Sirius was pacing the living room floor wondering how he wanted to go about what he wanted to do. Last night he had finally realized that the feelings he had for Petunia had grown from a crush to something so much more. He himself thought it was a bit early, considering he had only known her for two months, but he couldn't deny what he felt for the blonde woman. He didn't care that she was three years older than him either; if anything it added to her charm. Sirius wanted to confess his feelings to Petunia, regardless of whether she felt the same or not. He didn't think her harsh to just reject, brush off, or just outright not accept his feelings. If anything she would accept what he had to say and his feelings and ponder them a bit before giving him her response, and he was okay with that.

Petunia was at work currently, leaving Sirius a few hours to get his thoughts and ideas together. He wondered if he should do something romantic, even though there wasn't anything romantic between them. Maybe he could show her a bit of his world, introduce her to it more than she already was through Lily. It wouldn't hurt, but he wasn't sure she would like it. But then again, she might find it fantastic and wouldn't mind; she would probably even be relaxed and it could help him calm his own nerves as he got ready to confess. Deciding to take a chance he left Petunia's house and Disapparated away after locking it behind him.

Seconds later he Apparated in front of a rather old looking cabin and knocked on the door. A minute later the wooden door opened and Sirius was greeted with the sight of his best friend, Remus Lupin. Remus smiled brightly, his green eyes shining in happiness at seeing his friend.

"Sirius! Come in, come in," Remus said, standing aside and allowing Sirius to walk past him inside his home. "It's good to see you, Padfoot. I haven't heard from you in months."

"I know, same here, Moony," Sirius repeated as she and Remus shared a hug. "How are you doing? The full moon was last week."

Remus led Sirius into his sitting room before saying, "I'm fine. And it was alright last week as well, though I haven't the slightest clue where I was when I woke up the morning after."

Sirius nodded and sat down on the small sofa he had before saying, "Moony, I need your help."

"That depends on what it is."

"I need advice on where to take someone on a date to confess my feelings to."

"What?" Remus asked surprised, his green eyes widening in surprise.

Grey eyes looked up at their friend and Sirius sighed before saying, "Yeah, I know. It sounds crazy, doesn't it, that I would actually have genuine practice for another person? But I really do, Remus; I actually really care about her. And, you won't believe this, she's a Muggle."

Remus stared at his best friend for several seconds before grabbing a chair and moving it to sit in front of him. Once he was settled he said, "Tell me everything."

Sirius went into his tale about how he had spent months looking for Pettigrew after he betrayed James and Lily and got James killed. He told him how he had been searching as Padfoot before he figured to look in a Muggle neighborhood. Sirius ran his fingers through his hair as he said, "Imagine my surprise when I saw Lily and Harry in one house."

"Lily and Harry?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Yeah, they had escaped in time before You-Know-Who got to them. Apparently the house I saw them in was Lily's sister's place. And not only them, but Frank and Alice were there with their son."

"Yes, I heard that Snape cured them."

"So did I, and guess what? He was there as well. And not only that, but he and Lily are a couple now. And on top of that, Harry calls him 'daddy' and he got Lily pregnant."

Remus didn't say anything for a while before saying, "Well, I'm not surprised. Snape and Lily had always been closer than any of us would ever understand, but you and James were always determined to separate them, and finally succeeded."

"That was Snape's doing."

"But you were the main cause of it. Don't deny it, Sirius."

Sirius said nothing as he had a feeling he would lose, and also because he also knew his friend was right. Shaking his head he said, "Anyway, I said a bunch of insulting things and I was punched in the face by Snape, right after being slapped by both Lily and her sister. I returned later that night and apologized to Petunia, Lily's sister, and asked for refuge at her home."

"And she said 'yes'?" Remus asked.

"Not at first, but I promised to pull my weight, so she agreed. Everything started off horribly, but things got better and we got to know each other and enjoy each other's company. Before I knew it I liked her, Remus. She has so much passion and spunk; she's great and such a hard worker. But whenever I mess up she scolds me like my mother."

"Maybe you need a woman like that in your life, Padfoot."

"Maybe. But anyway, I've come to realize that I really like her and I want her to know that. I don't expect her to return my feelings, especially considering she is still healing from her last relationship."

"What happened in that one?"

"Her husband cheated with her friend, saying something about not being able to be with someone with a magical family, and then he divorced her and took their son and his mistress and left for Paris."

Remus growled and said, "That mongrel. What oaf does that to a woman and takes her child?"

Sirius nodded and said, "So you see why I don't really expect anything. All I want to do is tell Petunia how I feel and take her out on a romantic evening. She deserves it after all."

The two men sat in silence for a while before Remus said, "So you want to take her somewhere special. I'm going to assume somewhere magical as well." When he received a nod, he nodded himself. After a few minutes in thought he said, "I would say Paris, but those wounds may not have healed yet. How about Wizarding Venice, Italy?"

The dark haired man sat in thought for a moment before grinning brightly and standing, saying, "Remus, you're a genius! I'll have to pay you back for this at some point. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and get some things done. I'll see you later, Moony!"

Remus watched as his friend ran out of his house and heard the sound of him Disapparating away before shaking his head. He could only hope that Sirius didn't blow it with Lily's sister. He could only imagine what the redhead would do if she found out he hurt her older sister.

* * *

Petunia sighed as she entered her home after work, wanting to just get some dinner started. She hung up her coat and said loudly, "Sirius, I'm home!"

She put down her purse and walked into the living room to see Sirius dressed in black suit pants, a pressed white button up shirt, and a black suit jacket undone overtop with black dress shoes adorning his feet. He had shaved and had pulled his black hair back into a ponytail. He grinned at her as he held out a single rose to her as he stepped up to her.

"Sirius?" Petunia said in confusion. Taking the rose she asked, "What's going on?"

"How would you like to go to Italy for dinner tonight?" Sirius asked, watching in amusement how Petunia's look of confusion turned into one of excitement.

"Are you serious, Sirius?" Petunia asked, letting out an excited squeal when Sirius nodded chuckling at her use of his name after the word. He told he would wait for her to get ready as she ran upstairs.

Petunia quickly jumped in the shower, washing herself as quickly and thoroughly as possible and making sure not to get her hair wet; she couldn't do like Sirius and just magically dry it. Once she was done and towel dried herself off, she ran to her room and put on a clean pair of knickers and bra, then chose a blue queen anne strapped dress that flowed from the waist down and stopped just below her knees. She put on black ankle strap wedge heels, then fixed her blond hair in a chignon style. She put on some earrings, a necklace, then put a bit of light makeup on her face before heading back downstairs. She saw Sirius' grey eyes widen upon seeing her and how they continued to watch her until she was standing in front of him.

"You look beautiful," Sirius said, making Petunia blush. He looked into her blue eyes for a moment before asking if she was ready to go. When she nodded he led her outside and waited for her to lock her home. Once she did he took her hand and said, "Hold on tight."

When he felt Petunia get a tight grip on his hand, he Disapparated away from her home.

* * *

As soon as she felt her feet touch the ground, Petunia bent over a placed her hands on her knees, trying to stop her head from spinning and from wanting to throw up. She felt Sirius rubbing her back as he said, "Sorry, I should have mentioned that Disapparation and Apparation will usually make you sick the first few times."

Petunia didn't answer at first, still trying to force away the feeling of being sick. When she finally did she stood up at looked at the younger man before saying, "I'll be fine. I've just never felt as if I was being forcibly pulled through a tube before."

Sirius chuckled and said, "Yeah, it does feel like that. But look, we're here."

The blonde looked up and gasped as she saw the Grand Canal of Venice, Italy. It was just as grand as she had imagined and she had always wanted to ride on a boat on the canal. Finding her voice she said, "Sirius, this is amazing! I've always wanted to sail on the Grand Canal."

"Good, because we are going to do so to get to where we are going," Sirius said, watching how Petunia's blue eyes lit up at his words. He took her hand and led her down to the canal where an awaiting gondola was floating on the water. They both got inside and were floated down the canal, the gondolier singing along the way as Petunia and Sirius took in the sights. Before long the gondolier led them over towards a large palace, which he said was the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti. Sirius thanked and paid him before he got off the gondola and helped Petunia out.

Petunia's blue eyes widened as she took in the palace, taking in its beauty and making a mental note to look up its history when she returned home. Sirius smiled and said, "Let's go inside."

The blonde blushed as the dark haired wizard took her hand and led her inside. They entered through a door and walked down a corridor before Sirius led them inside a broom closet. He took out his wand and cast _Lumos_ before tapping his wand on the door in a specific sequence until the doorknob glowed blue. He turned the knob and opened the door, stepping out and gently pulling Petunia with him. Petunia looked around and let out a gasp, noticing how there were floating torches and that the palace had taken on a medieval look. Feeling something land on her shoulder she looked and let out a surprised yelp at seeing a miniature dragon on her shoulder. The dragon had beautiful, shimmering scales and multi-colored eyes that were pupil-less. It looked at her before lightly nipping her ear, making her giggle as she reached up and gently took it from her shoulder and held it in her hand.

"Oh, it's so pretty!" Petunia said in awe, taking her finger and lightly petting it on its head. She giggled again when the dragon let out a purring sound before letting out a small scarlet flame that disappeared just as soon as it was produced.

"That is an Antipodean Opaleye," a voice said from behind them. Petunia and Sirius turned around to face a wizard and witch that were dressed in medieval robes and were smiling at them. It was the wizard that had spoken and he opened his mouth to speak once again. "The dragons here are miniature size and won't grow any bigger. And if one is lucky, a dragon will choose them to take them home. And from the looks of it, this Antipodean Opaleye has chosen you, miss."

Petunia's blue eyes widened as she looked down at the dragon that was curled up in her hands. Sirius smiled before saying, "It's her first time here as she is a Muggle. Her sister is a witch and she wants to know more about the Wizarding World."

The witch nodded and said, "That is just fine, Mr. Black. A lot of witches and wizards bring their Muggle family or significant other here. However, we have never seen a dragon take a liking to a Muggle before; your date must be special."

The two of them blushed a bit, making the witch and wizard chuckle softly. The wizard cleared his throat and said, "Where are my manners. I am Francesco and this is my wife Olga. We own the Wizarding part of this establishment. Let us take you to a table so you can dine and enjoy yourselves."

The two of them followed the magical couple, the colorful dragon flying itself to rest on Sirius' head, much to Petunia's amusement. They were led to a table and sat down where a House Elf poured them red wine that tasted like strawberries to Petunia. It then served them a garlic shrimp alfredo dinner, starting with an appetizer of tomato basil bruschetta; then they were served the garlic shrimp alfredo for their entrée, both of them surprised to find bacon mixed in; and finally for dessert they were served chocolate mousse. The House Elf even made sure to serve some medium-rare lamb to Petunia's dragon, which she named Twinkle even after finding out it was a male, much to Sirius' amusement.

It was during dessert when Sirius asked, "So how are you enjoying dinner so far?"

"It's amazing," Petunia answered genuinely. "I'm really enjoying myself. Dinner has been lovely and the scenery is beautiful and medieval. Even the magic in here is amazing, seeing things float around by themselves and appear and disappear. I even got a little dragon to take home as a pet! I can't believe I resented this for so long."

Sirius smiled and said, "Well, the night isn't over yet. We still have one more place to go."

Petunia grinned at the wizard saying, "You're spoiling me, Mr. Black."

"Well, you deserve it, Ms. Evans," Sirius replied, both of them chuckling at their playful banter.

Sirius paid for their dinner and he and Petunia left the building, thanking Francesco and Olga on their way out while Twinkle flew after them, flying into the closet and landing on Sirius' shoulder before he closed the door, then did the sequence of taps in reverse, the doorknob glowing blue again before they stepped out into the regular corridor of the palace again. They exited the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti and Sirius grabbed Petunia's arm and quickly Disapparated away before any Muggles could see them.

* * *

Once again, as soon as their feet touched the ground, Petunia had to bend over and get her bearings together, all the while trying to prevent her dinner from coming back up. When she finally did get her bearings Petunia saw that they had arrived at some sort of Italian vacation house, with an outdoor pool and a vineyard about a quarter of a mile off, taking up about five acres.

"This place is beautiful," Petunia said.

"It's one of the Black family's vacation houses. This is one of three here in Italy," Sirius said, watching as Twinkle flew off to snap at the fireflies that were floating around in the air.

Petunia continued to take in the scenery, not believing that she was in such a beautiful place or that someone would do something like this for her. She turned around to face the younger man and said, "Thank you for tonight, Sirius. It was lovely. But I do have to ask, why did you do this for me?"

Sirius was quiet for a moment, the only sounds to be heard was the chirping of crickets and the occasional snaps and blowing of fire from Twinkle. Finally he sighed and said, "I wanted to do something special for you because…because I like you, Petunia."

"Wh-What?"

"I like you, a lot. I have romantic feelings for you that started developing ever since I've been living with you. I've always thought you were pretty, but now that I've gotten to know you, you are more beautiful than ever before. I just love your personality and you as a person. You've been through a lot emotionally and have lost your son to your wretched ex-husband as well everything else you had in that marriage, but you continue to stay strong and that alone is inspiring. I wanted to do something special for you because you deserve it, and I also wanted to let you know how I feel about you. I think that I may even love you, Petunia."

Petunia didn't know what to say, she just stood there in shock. Her blue eyes stared into grey as her mouth opened and shut repeatedly. What could she say? She was so shocked and she had no idea that Sirius felt any sort of romantic feelings towards her. Yes, they had become pretty good friends and were very comfortable with each other considering how they started, but this was a shock to the blonde. She opened her mouth to finally say something, but Sirius interrupted her.

"I don't want you to say anything, and I don't expect you to. But I just wanted to let you know how I feel. Whether you return my feelings in time or not, I just wanted to let you know," Sirius said, lightly caressing her cheek before dropping his hand. "There is a room set up for you inside to stay in for the night. I know you are off from work tomorrow, so I set this up so you can rest properly."

"Sirius…" Petunia said softly, ignoring Twinkle as he climbed her chignon to the top of her head.

Sirius smiled and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek before turning and walking to the vacation house. Petunia watched him walk inside the house, letting his words, his confession, reverberate in her mind. Sirius Black, a Pureblood wizard, was in love or somewhat in love with her, a Muggle. He liked her a lot. She was flattered honestly, but she wasn't sure what to do or how to respond to that in the future. Maybe she needed to sleep on it and think in depth about how she really felt about the wizard.

Feeling very tired all of a sudden, Petunia began walking towards the vacation house, reaching up to her head and lightly grabbing Twinkle, carrying him in her hand. As she neared the house she asked, "What am I going to do, Twinkle?"

Twinkle's reply was to blow out a scarlet flame before lightly nipping her fingers, as if to comfort his new owner.


	22. Chapter 22

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 22: The Daily Prophet's Article

During breakfast at Hogwarts, Severus couldn't help but feel a little off. And by a little off, he meant the sense of foreboding that wouldn't go away. It was small, but it was there. And because it was there it was causing Severus to also feel anticipation for something, but he wasn't sure for what. Minerva noticed Severus' troubled look and she leaned over towards him, lowering her voice as she asked, "Is something the matter, Severus?"

"I'm not sure," Severus replied. "I just have this sense of…foreboding, and I don't know why."

Before Minerva could reply, the sound of flapping wings was heard and the students at the four House tables began to chatter louder at the prospect of the mail arriving. A lot of the owls were dropping the Daily Prophet, to which several students and staff as well immediately opened and began to read. There was a small pause before the Great Hall erupted into shouts and chatter. Severus looked over at the newspaper that Professor Pomona Sprout had before quickly snatching out of her hands, his black eyes reading the headline and article in shock.

"Now Severus," Pomona started, but decided against finishing when she saw how much paler the Potions professor looked after reading the main story in the newspaper.

"Severus?" Minerva said concerned, and was startled when the young man quickly stood and announced he had to leave. As he strode out of the Great Hall through the teacher's entrance with the newspaper in hand, his black robes billowing behind him, Minerva looked at her colleague and asked, "What was that about?"

Pomona shrugged before asking Professor Flitwick for his newspaper, to which he handed over with wide eyes. Pomona looked it over before her own eyes widened as she said, "Oh goodness."

Minerva took the newspaper and looked at the headline as well as the picture, her green eyes widening. There in black and white in the moving picture was Lily Potter, running and Disapparating away from a crowd of witches and wizards. But the main point that was even zoomed in on was her cloak opening and revealing a large, pregnant stomach. Moving her eyes back to the headline as well as the opening sentences, she swallowed hardly as she read it once again.

 ** _Lily Potter Seen in Diagon Alley & Pregnant?_**

 ** _Lily Potter, known to have escaped You-Know-Who last year with her son Harry, has briefly come out of hiding and was spotted by several witnesses in Diagon Alley. But what was really interesting was her pregnant stomach that was shamelessly put on display. The question on everyone's mind is with James Potter dead, who is the father of Lily's unborn child?_**

"Oh dear," Minerva said softly, looking over at Albus who had a grave look on his face. The older wizard looked at her before quietly saying, "He is bound to know about this already. He will be sending his followers to search for her, as well as young Harry."

The Deputy Headmistress nodded before asking, "What should we do?"

Albus said nothing at first, seeming to be deep in thought. Finally he said, "As long as she is in hiding and in a place that only those of blood relation can enter, she is safe. All we can do now is hope that that will be enough until we can think of something better."

* * *

Severus Apparated outside the wards of Prince Manor before stalking through them, a hard look on his face. He entered the manor, striding past Wimmy who was cleaning near the entrance, and headed up the stairs to the bedroom that Lily and he shared whenever he was able to stay. Reaching the bedroom he opened the door and stopped at the sight in front of him.

Lily, who was still asleep, was on her side and had her arm wrapped around not only Harry, but Draco who were also still asleep. They all looked so peaceful and the sight was very heartwarming and Severus momentarily forgot why he was there. He silently walked over to the bed and sat down, the soft movement stirring the little blond awake. Draco blinked his grey eyes open before sitting up and rubbing his eyes cutely with his little fists. Looking up he spotted his godfather, causing a smile to come to his face. Holding out his arms Draco softly said, "Sevvy!"

Severus smiled and reached over, gently picking up Draco and settling him on his lap, holding him close as his godson hugged him. Draco looked up at him and asked, "Do I go home now?"

"It's not time yet, unless you want to," Severus replied gently. Draco confirmed that he missed his parents and wanted to go home. Nodding Severus placed his godson back on the bed before moving towards Lily and gently rousing her from her sleep. When she finally opened her eyes, she smiled at the sight of her lover, but it quickly dropped upon seeing his not happy face.

Sitting up Lily asked, "Sev, what's wrong?"

The Potions Master said nothing for a while before saying, "I hope you realize that everyone in Wizarding Britain knows that you are pregnant by now."

Lily's eyes widened as she placed her hand on her stomach. Looking down at her stomach she softly said, "You're probably furious. Are you angry with me, Sev?"

"I wish that you hadn't exposed yourself. Why would you even leave here and the wards? You know it's dangerous for you to be seen by the public."

"I wanted to get baby clothes for our children."

"Baby clothes? You left and was bombarded by people in Diagon Alley for _baby clothes_?!"

Severus hadn't meant to raise his voice the way he did, but he couldn't believe Lily. She left to buy baby clothes, something that she didn't have to do, and was seen by others for the first time since Voldemort tried to kill Harry. Didn't she realize that the Dark Lord had spies everywhere, including Diagon Alley? Not to mention Knockturn Alley was right next to it.

Lily flinched at Severus' loud voice before saying, "I don't think it's such a big deal to make a fuss about."

"Lily, have you forgotten that Knockturn Alley is next to Diagon Alley? Plenty of Dark witches and wizards lurk there," Severus replied, trying his best to keep his anger at bay. "You didn't Disapparate near there, did you?"

"I don't think so," Lily replied.

"Are you positive? The Dark Lord doesn't need to know that you are pregnant again, especially since he already wants Harry and you dead."

"I can positively say that I didn't see anyone suspicious. Oh, wait."

"What?"

"Now that you mention it, I did see a pair of twins out of the corner of my eye before I Disapparated."

"Twins? What did they look like?"

"I don't know. Like I said, I just saw a glimpse of them before I got away."

Severus suddenly felt sick. The pairs of twins that he knew were the Lestrange brothers and the Carrows. And at the moment only the Carrows were still roaming free because the Lestranges were in Azkaban. Before he could say anything else, he felt the Dark Mark on his arm begin to burn, causing him to grunt a little.

Standing Severus said, "I need to go."

Lily frowned and said, "But you just got here."

"The Dark Lord is summoning us."

The redhead nodded and watched as her lover quickly strode out of the room, leaving her to sigh as he left. She hoped he was going to be okay facing the Dark Lord again. Rubbing her stomach she said, "Don't worry babies, everything will be okay."

* * *

Voldemort watched as his followers filed into the den one by one, lightly twisting his wand between his fingers. He noticed Severus walk in, nodding to him as he did so before the last Death Eater stepped inside. Seeing that all of them had their eyes on him and were giving him their attention, he said, "As you know I have received some interesting news, news which I am sure you may have seen in today's issue of the Daily Prophet."

The Death Eaters said nothing, waiting for their lord to speak once again.

"It would seem that Lily Potter, mother of the child who is supposed to defeat me, is pregnant once again," Voldemort said, watching as his Death Eaters erupted into loud chatter. Waving his hand he silenced them before saying, "I will not allow that filthy Mudblood to bear another child into this world that might be prophesized to defeat me. My dear followers, your mission is to find the Mudblood and her child and bring them to me. I want to see the whites of her eyes as I murder the boy in front of her."

"And what of the Mudblood and the unborn child, my lord?" Goyle Senior asked.

Voldemort smiled sinisterly and replied, "Leave that to me. Now go, find them. Do not wait to find her after the child is born. If you do, there will be hell to pay."

The Death Eaters bowed and said in unison 'yes, my lord' before leaving the den. As they left, Severus stood looking paler than he had ever been and feeling absolutely sick to his stomach. He knew, the Dark Lord knew. And now he was sending out a search party for Lily and Harry. He had to warn Dumbledore and Lily. Merlin, as much as he loved Lily (and he really did), he couldn't believe that she would do something so stupid as to get herself seen and have her condition known to Voldemort. Severus slipped out with the last few Death Eaters, Disapparting to Hogwarts as soon as he was outside of Riddle House, intent on informing the old man of the Dark Lord's summon.

After all of his followers had left, Voldemort looked at the newspaper that one of the Carrows had brought him, scowling at the moving image of Lily Potter. How could this have happened? The bitch and her son would be dead if she hadn't escaped with the boy. But now it was time to focus on the current matter at hand, and that was capturing the Mudblood and her child. However the one thing that was really on his mind was who was the wizard that impregnated her again. Once he found that wizard, he would show him no mercy and make both him and Lily Potter suffer.


	23. Chapter 23

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 23: Problems

"You _what_?!" Alice exclaimed staring wide eyed at her friend.

Lily shifted a bit and answered, "I went to Diagon Alley and was seen. Now I'm in the Daily Prophet and everyone knows I'm pregnant."

The glare the white haired woman sent Lily made the redhead flinch and hug her rounded stomach. Lily knew what she had done was stupid; with the way Severus had reacted earlier let her know that her impulsive decision to go shopping in Diagon Alley was stupid. She really didn't need Alice to reiterate that it was stupid, but she knew her friend was going to say so anyway.

"Lily," Alice started. "Do you know how _stupid_ you are for doing that?"

"Yes Alice, I know," Lily answered. "Severus let me know without saying that I am a fool for doing so. I don't need you telling me, too."

The two women sat quietly for a while, the sounds of Harry, Neville, and Draco playing and laughing drifting towards them from the parlor where Frank was watching them. This situation was bad, they both knew it. And the fact that it was printed in the Daily Prophet made the whole thing entirely worse. If Alice hadn't feared for Lily and her children's safety before, she definitely did now. It was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord found out about her condition, unless he already knew about it.

Reaching over Alice took Lily's hand in hers and squeezed it before saying, "We're probably going to have a major problem on our hands."

Lily nodded and softly said, "Don't I know it."

* * *

Severus paced along his carpet in his office, his hands running through his jet black hair every few paces as he let out a frustrated sigh here and there. Roderick, who had decided to visit his grandson, watched in with a concerned look on his face before finally asking, "What has you so troubled, _garpháiste_?"

Severus stopped pacing and looked at the portrait of his grandfather, a look of fear in his eyes. The emotion was almost unseen, but Roderick saw it. The young professor hesitated to answer for a moment before saying, "Something unexpectedly horrible has happened, _daideo._ "

"And that would be?"

"Lily went into Diagon Alley without anyone knowing yesterday and was seen. And now the Dark Lord knows that she is pregnant and has sent his the Death Eaters on a mass search to find her and Harry, as well as the person who impregnated her."

"And if that wretched, horrible excuse of a wizard finds out that it was one of his own followers who did so, he'd have your head."

"Correct."

A grave expression came over Roderick's face as he stared at his grandson. Severus knew Roderick was thinking the same thing that he was thinking, that he had a huge issue atop his shoulders. As if his grandson didn't have enough to deal with being a double agent and keeping his family safe, now this where he was expected to find them or give information to their whereabouts. He knew Severus was a damn good Legilimens, something he had unknowingly inherited from his mother who inherited it from him, but he couldn't help but think that it would only be a matter of time before the Dark Lord found out about Severus' betrayal and lies to his face. Roderick feared for Severus, Lily, Harry, and the unborn triplets' safety. It was times like this he wished he was still living, but there wasn't anything he could do.

"Severus, I fear terrible things will happen in the near future, so I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you will be the great wizard and man that you are and protect your family. Even if you die doing so, promise me that your death won't be worthless if it comes to that," Roderick told Severus, a soft smile on his face though his eyes held an emotion Severus couldn't place.

The Potions Master swallowed hardly and nodded before replying softly, "I will."

* * *

Petunia was lying on her bed in her bedroom, her mind on Sirius' confession from before. They had arrived from Italy that morning and she decided to take a nap in her room since she had a restless night as she couldn't get her mind off of what Sirius had told her. It didn't bother her in an annoying way; it bothered her that she couldn't think of what to do about it. Sure, she cared for Sirius, liked him even, but the way he did her she wasn't sure. After all she was still healing from Vernon's infidelity, so she wasn't sure about dating another man, especially one three years her junior; not to mention she missed her Dudley terribly. But even so, Sirius was charming, funny, very sweet, and surprisingly romantic. She wondered if Lily even knew about this sweet, romantic side of Sirius.

Wait, what? What did she just think about Sirius? Sweet, charming, and romantic? It was no loss on Petunia that the man was, and she did find him handsome on top of all of that. And all last night Sirius had made her heart flutter, especially with his heartfelt confession, but she hadn't been able to say anything except look completely dumbfounded. Did she…did she like Sirius more than she thought she did? And if she did, was it alright for her to like him? She knew he liked (maybe loved) her and he knew all about how Vernon basically threw her away and took her son, but she wondered if he really wanted her or if he just thought he did. There was really nothing spectacular about her; she was a Muggle after all. Yet and still, Sirius didn't seem to care about that. And with that realization, Petunia felt her heart flutter once again at the thought of the long, curly haired wizard and his charming smile.

Gosh, did she wish Lily was with her. It would be easier talking to her sister about her possible feelings for her sister's former classmate. Lily would probably tell her upfront that she liked Sirius, if she thought about it.

Petunia groaned and rolled over to see Twinkle staring at her, his multicolored pupiless eyes watching her closely. Reaching over she picked the miniature dragon up before placing him on her pillow next to her head. Lightly petting his head she whispered in question, "What do you think, Twinkle? Do you think that maybe…that maybe I might like Sirius and possibly have a chance with him?"

Twinkle looked at his owner before snorting and curling up on her pillow and closing his eyes, seemingly taking a nap. Petunia sighed and sat up, getting out of her bed and putting her purple satin robe on over her short nightgown, slipping her feet into her slippers before walking towards her bedroom door and opening it. She stepped out of her room and headed down to Sirius' room and stopped before the closed door.

Raising her fist to knock the blonde hesitated. She wanted to talk with Sirius about his confession and her confused feelings, but she didn't want to rush the conversation. However, the thought would cause problems for her in a way where she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until she spoke with the wizard. But would now be a good time, especially so soon after being confessed to? She wasn't sure.

Sighing softly Petunia turned around and headed back to her room, deciding to deal with her problem later. She could only hope that her sister was having a better time than she was.

* * *

Lily was sitting outside in the large garden in the backyard of Prince Manor, pondering everything. She admitted that her going into Diagon Alley, especially by herself, was a mistake. But she couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. The feeling had started after Severus has left from being summoned by You-Know-Who hours ago, and ever since then something just hadn't felt right. She wished Severus would return to tell her something, but that could be either late tonight or tomorrow or even within a week. She didn't know what was going on in the world outside of Prince Manor and its wards, but she hoped it wasn't anything too bad.

A little foot nudged her on the right side of her stomach, followed by a tiny hand bumping her left side and another foot hitting her again on the right side. Smiling Lily rubbed her pregnant stomach and said, "I see you three are awake. I guess you know I'm restless." A slight kick was her answer, making her smile.

Suddenly Lily felt lightheaded and her vision started darkening around the edges, quickly closing in. Lily blinked several times to clear her vision, but it was still the same. Alarmed she stood up, calling out for Alice and Frank. Just as she took a step forward her vision went completely black and the redhead collapsed to her knees.

Gasping Lily gripped her head as excruciating pain shot through it before suddenly feeling as if she were leaving her own body. Was she dying? And then, just as quickly as her vision went black, a bright white light appeared and was quickly pulling her in. What was happening to her? Right before she was pulled completely into the light, Lily could only think, _Harry, Severus._

* * *

 **Author's Note: This chapter was really to focus a bit on everyone's problems that they were dealing with, though Lily's and Severus' were of the same, Severus' more so heavier. Hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next one. Love, SehunsBae37.**


	24. Chapter 24

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 24: Lily's Vision

 _Lily's green eyes shot open, looking around frantically as she tried to figure out where it was that she was at currently. Looking around she seemed to be in some sort of dungeon. Wasn't she just in the garden at Prince Manor? What was going on?_

 _The sound of a child whimpering caught her attention and she turned her head to see Harry and…herself. What in the name of Merlin? Harry, with tears shining in his eyes, looked up at the other Lily and said, "I'm scared, mummy."_

 _The other Lily shushed him and wiped his tears before holding him close to her as she leant against the dungeon wall saying, "I know, sweetheart. Mummy is scared too, but I promise you will be okay."_

 _"_ _What about you, mummy?"_

 _"_ _I'll be alright, me and the babies."_

 _Lily looked to see herself still pregnant, but a little larger than what she was currently. Was she looking at herself in the near future? If so, then where was she and why were she and Harry being kept in a dungeon of sorts? She was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she almost missed the other Harry's next question._

 _"_ _Where's daddy?"_

 _Yes, where was the other Severus? The other Lily hesitated to answer before finally saying, "I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know."_

 _Just then the sounds of footsteps descending some stairs was heard, causing the other Lily to hold Harry protectively to her and stand up, difficult as it seemed from the floor, while Harry whimpered and buried his face into his mother's neck. Lily frowned at seeing herself hold her son who was shaking in fear before turning to the barred door that held her and her son prisoner. A man appeared and unlocked the cell door, stepping inside before stalking over to the other Lily and Harry. Upon closer inspection, Lily saw that it was Antonin Dolohov._

 _Antonin stopped just short of the other Lily and said, "The Dark Lord calls for your presence, Mudblood. And unfortunately, I got the task of bringing your filthy blood self to him."_

 _"_ _Go to hell, Dolohov," the other Lily spat before crying out in pain as the Death Eater slapped her across the face. Lily gasped as she witnessed this, watching herself stumble a bit but still continuing to stand as Harry began to cry. She then gasped again when Antonin grabbed Harry and forcibly yanked him away from the other Lily, throwing across the room where he was knocked unconscious before turning back to the red haired woman and slapping her across the face again when she tried to attack him for what he had done to her son, this time knocking her to the ground._

 _"_ _The Dark Lord also said that if you refused to cooperate, I can do with you what I please before still bringing you to him," Antonin said with a sinister smirk._

 _Lily and her counterpart both watched in horror as the Death Eater unbuttoned his pants and pulled out his erection before bending down and forcing the other Lily still and yanking the dress she was wearing up and ripping her knickers away. Lily tried to run over to help herself as the other Lily begged and pleaded for Antonin not to do what he was about to do, but she couldn't move forward. Closing her eyes Lily begged to herself,_ Please Merlin, let me not see this any longer.

 _When Lily opened her eyes again, she was standing in what seemed to be some sort of ball room, but it was filled completely of Death Eaters. They were all standing in a circle and in the middle of the circle were Lord Voldemort, the other Lily, and Harry. And still among all of them, Lily could still not spot Severus' face. Where was the other Severus?_

 _She could not hear what the evil wizard was saying, though it was obvious he was saying something to her counterpart. She watched as he raised his wand and pointed it at her and Harry, watching how she and Harry both writhed in pain and screamed afterwards. Lily was horrified when she realized that they were being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse. When it was apparent the Dark Lord had let up on the curse, he began to speak again, only this time she could hear what was being said._

 _"_ _I will ask you again, you filthy Mudblood, and I want the truth. Who is the father of your dirty, bastard child?" Lord Voldemort said to the other Lily._

 _Gasping for breath, the other Lily replied, "I will take the answer to my grave."_

 _Lord Voldemort's eyes flashed in anger before he said, "Have it your way._ Avada- _"_

"Stupefy!"

 _Lily watched as the Dark Lord was suddenly thrown forward over the other Lily's head where he landed in the crowd of Death Eaters. She, along with everyone else, turned to see none other than Severus Snape walking determinedly through the crowd of Death Eaters to stand protectively over the other Lily and Harry. Lord Voldemort stood and stared in shock before asking, "What are you doing, Severus? Why are you protecting that Mudblood?"_

 _Severus glared at the wizard and held his wand up in a dueling stance as he replied, "I won't let you harm my family, even if I die protecting them."_

 _Before Lily could watch more, she felt a sudden harsh pull on her from behind and she was suddenly being drawn back quickly, the scene in front of her fading quickly until there was just darkness to be seen._

* * *

"Lily! Lily, wake up!" Alice's voice cried out.

Green eyes shot open and Lily sat up quickly, gasping for breath as she looked around rapidly, expecting to find herself surrounded by Death Eaters. But instead, she was in the parlor where Roderick's portrait was located. Looking around Lily saw Alice, Frank, Harry, Neville, and Draco all looking at her concerned. Her eyes drifting to the portrait above the fireplace, she could see Muirrean staring down at her with worry etched in her face; Roderick was nowhere to be found.

Alice leaned in close to Lily and asked, "Lily, are you alright? What happened?"

Lily didn't answer for a moment before saying, "I think I just had a vision."

Before anyone else could ask what she meant, Roderick returned to his portrait just as Severus and Madame Pompfrey rushed through the parlor doors and over to her. Madame Pompfrey immediately began to wave her wand over Lily, casting diagnostic spells to check her and the triplets after being told Lily had collapsed. Severus grabbed Lily's hand and his black eyes, filled with concern, bored into hers as he asked, "Lily, are you alright? Are you hurt? How are the babies? What happened?"

"Severus, I think I just had some sort of vision of the future," Lily told him seriously, fear apparent in her eyes. Her voice grave she said, "And it's not good."

Severus stared at his love for a while before saying, "Tell me."

Lily took a deep breath before recounting how she had been in the garden before her vision went out. She then recounted everything in her vision, her having to calm Severus down when she told of how Dolohov had harmed Harry and was about to defile her. She told of how the vision had changed and she and Harry had been tortured by Lord Voldemort, how he was about to kill her until Severus stepped in and stopped him from doing so. When she finished, everyone was stunned into silence. After a while Lily said, "I believe that those events are going to happen soon."

Roderick frowned in confusion before he asked, "Are you a Seer?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then how on earth were you able to see a vision such as that?"

Muirrean cleared her throat before saying, "I'm a Seer, remember Roderick? It is possible that one of Severus and Lily's unborn children are a Seer as well. They could be projecting their visions onto Lily so that she can see them. The ability was probably passed on in the Prince family blood when I had children with you."

"But I'm not a Seer, and neither was mum," Severus inputted.

"It skips a generation or two. Usually only females are Seers from my side of the family, though there have been a few male Seers."

"So you're saying that it could be the boy, the girl, or the unknown sex of our third child that could be the Seer."

"Precisely."

Frank looked at Madame Pompfrey before asking, "Do you think you can tell us which one it is, Madame Pompfrey?"

Madame Pompfrey shook her head and replied, "Of course not, but I finally know what the third child is. It's another boy; two boys and a girl."

Despite the tense atmosphere that they were in, everyone couldn't help but smile at hearing that Lily and Severus were having two boys and a girl for their triplets. But that still left the question of which of the triplets was the Seer that gave Lily the vision she had just experienced. And the one thing that didn't sit well with Severus was that pretty soon, his family was going to be taken and he was afraid he wouldn't know it until it was too late. He needed to talk to Dumbledore, he needed to be able to protect Lily and Harry.

Severus stayed at Prince Manor with Lily for about two more hours before he had to leave. He summoned all of Draco's things before taking him and dropping him back off with Lucius and Narcissa, then heading back to Hogwarts intent on seeing the Headmaster. He needed to talk with Dumbeldore and fast, as it seemed that time was of the essence.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry I'm late on posting, guys. A lot has been going on and I'm trying to get my life together, but I haven't given up on this story. I hope you all still continue to read as it goes along, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really appreciate you all for sticking by this story. Please stay tuned for the next one! XOXO, SehunsBae37.**


	25. Chapter 25

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 25: Severus' Lineage

"Albus!" Severus called barging into Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore looked up from a book and smiled at his former student and current colleague. Putting his book down he said, "Severus, so good to see you during lunch hour. Care to join me?"

Severus watched as a House Elf brought a tray of food for two before striding to stand into in front of the Headmaster's desk. Placing his hands on it he said, "Albus, I just went to see Lily."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked. "I'm sure she's fine without you being with her. You don't need to be there with her every day just because she wants you there. She's pregnant, not dying, Severus."

"I'm going to pretend that you did not just say that to me, old man," Severus said, his black eyes hardening and his hands clenching into fists. "Anyway, I went because I was alerted that Lily had collapsed. I was worried about her and our unborn children, you old git. But the reason I came to you is because Lily has had a vision of the possible future."

Dumbledore looked shocked for a moment before a perplexed expression appeared on his face. Tilting his head he asked, "Is Lily a Seer?"

Shaking his head the Potions Master answered, "No, but it turns out that one of our triplets is and is projecting their visions to Lily so she can see them from inside her womb."

"What did she see?"

"She was captured by the Dark Lord and he was torturing her to find out who the father of her children is."

"And I can only imagine what Tom will do when he finds out it is you."

"Yes, not to mention he already has sent out search parties to capture her and Harry. Albus, I can't let anything happen to my family."

"James' family, Severus."

" _My_ family."

Dumbledore stared at Severus, noting how the man had bristled and tensed the moment he said Lily and Harry were James Potter's family. It was true, but to Severus that was over and done with. The wizard didn't like how Severus was ignoring that Lily was once James' wife and that Harry was the creation of the love that they had for each other. He didn't think it right that Severus was taking his place and disregarding his memory. But considering the awful past Severus had concerning James and his friends and how he himself didn't do anything to reprimand them and allowed Severus to suffer, he supposed he would let Severus have this, no matter how wrong he believed it was.

Clearing his throat Dumbledore said, "It would be best to not let that happen, and I believe that as long as she stays hidden where she is, then it won't happen."

Severus nodded and replied, "As do I, but I can't help but be worried."

"All will be well, Severus. And as long as no one traces your lineage, you should be fine."

"What do you mean?"

"It is possible for people to trace your lineage and find what family you come from, even going as far as to find out where the ancestral home is. And you haven't told anyone that you are from the Prince family line other than those you trust, I'm sure."

"Of course not."

"Then there is no reason to be worried. Now sit and eat with me, my boy. I would like to hear about any potion breakthroughs that you are working on, like the one you did for the Longbottoms."

Severus sighed and sat, taking a plate and he and Dumbledore began to discuss his work. And all the while, the Potions Master hoped that the old wizard in front of him was right.

* * *

Lord Voldemort watched quietly as his followers conversed amongst themselves while waiting for the meeting to begin. He had just someone his Death Eaters to hear of their progress on finding the pregnant Mudblood and her offspring. However, there were still a few that were straggling in, so he would wait a bit longer. One of the ones who were showing up rather late was Severus. He could excuse him as he was spying on the Order for him, but everyone else was inexcusable.

As of late he had been thinking a lot about Severus and where the man's magical core came from. He wasn't a Mudblood, he was certain of that, so he didn't steal any of their magic. Severus, like himself as loath as he was to admit it, was a Halfblood as his mother was a witch. They paralleled a lot than one would think and he was quite fond of the Potions Master. However, he was beginning to believe that the wizard's loyalty to him was beginning to wane. And if it was, then Severus would be shown no mercy.

But that wasn't what had his interest about the Potions Master. What had his interest was his magical heritage. What family did the man come from? His last name was 'Snape' due to his filthy Muggle father, meaning his mother's name changed. He wondered what family the mother came from. Severus was powerful for a Halfblood, much like him, so he had to come from a powerful Wizarding family. The question was however, which family he came from.

Looking over to the entrance of the meeting room, he saw Walden Macnair enter alongside Antonin Dolohov. Standing he walked over to them, nodding to them as they bowed and greeted him. When they straightened he said, "Macnair, step outside into the corridor with me."

Macnair nodded and followed the Dark Lord, wondering what he had possibly done. They two of them stepped into the corridor of Riddle House and headed down it a ways before the Dark Lord stopped. Turning to face the Death Eater, Voldemort said, "I have an assignment for you, Macnair."

"Yes, my lord?" Macnair replied.

"I need you to find all that you can about Severus Snape's magical heritage. I need to know what lineage he comes from, seeing as there isn't a single Wizarding family under the name of 'Snape'."

"Yes, my lord."

"And when you find out, report to me immediately. I won't stand for tardiness."

"Understood, my lord."

"Good, now go."

"Right away, my lord."

Lord Voldemort watched Macnair leave quickly before turning to head back to the meeting room. He hoped he could count on the Death Eater, or else there would be hell to pay.

* * *

It had been two days since Macnair was given the task to find out Snape's lineage and he was beginning to get very frustrated. How hard was it to find out what family one wizard came from? He knew Snape was a private person and not much was known about him, but he didn't think it would be so hard to find out what family line he came from.

At the moment he was walking along Knockturn Alley, wondering what his next move should be to fulfill the Dark Lord's wish. He had just turned a corner when he bumped into someone wearing a dark hooded cloak, the hood covering their face except for their mouth. The person had pale, thin, chapped lips that stretched into a grin, the lips splitting in places and blood appearing.

Macnair winced at that before saying, "Watch where you are going, fool."

The person chuckled and said softly in a raspy voice, but loud enough for the man to hear, "Ah, I see that you are searching for something."

"What? How do you know that?"

"I know enough to put you in good favor with the Dark Lord."

"Really? So you know what I am looking for?"

"Yes, you are searching for the lineage of one of your colleagues."

"Right. Now tell me the family name of Severus Snape that he comes from."

The person, a man it was, smirked and replied, "Alright, I will tell you, but only in the form of a riddle. It is up to you to figure it out. The riddle is: _A family with amazing power, with Irish origins and great respect. All have died off that hold the name, but one still remains carrying their blood. Furthermore, the family is essentially royalty._ "

There was a pause after the man finished speaking before Macnair scoffed and asked, "What kind of riddle is that? That could be any magical family."

The man chuckled again before saying, "Think on it. The answer will come to you. But if you need one more hint, here it is: _The last to carry the name was disowned._ " And with that, the man in the hooded cloak walked past Macnair and down Knockturn Alley.

Macnair stood in thought for a moment, rolling the riddle around in his head. What magical family had origins all the way in Ireland? And how could all of them be dead that carry the family name? He deduced Snape was the one to carry the family bloodline in his veins though he didn't possess the family name, but for his family to be considered royalty, that was a bit of a stretch. He knew the Malfoys were somewhat considered royalty, but there was no way Snape was related to the Malfoys. Thinking hard, he thought and thought about the riddle before his eyes widened as the answer suddenly came to him.

With a devilish grin, Macnair Disapparated away to the nearest Wizarding library to research a bit before heading to Riddle House, intent on alerting the Dark Lord of his discovery.

* * *

Lord Voldemort looked up from his book when a knock sounded on his office door. He announced for whoever was on the other side to enter and was delighted to see that it was Walden Macnair. He was more so excited to see the grin on his face.

Placing his book face down on his desk, Voldemort said, "I see that you have returned, and obviously with some news. Have you found out about Severus' lineage?"

"Yes, my lord. I have found that out, along with a thought that I would ask for you to consider," Macnair responded.

"Oh? Alright then, tell me what you have discovered."

Macnair cleared his throat before saying, "Snape's magical family was difficult to find because his mother had been disowned for marrying a Muggle. Also she took the Muggle's name, becoming a Snape and having the Snape we know now. Many families have done this before, but none that are essentially royalty. Or should I say, a name that sounds like royalty. Snape's lineage comes from the Prince family."

Voldemort's eyes widened at what he had just been told. Severus was from the Prince family line? Blinking his red eyes he said, "That is interesting information, indeed. Now tell me this thought of yours that I am to consider."

"I may sound suspicious and even accusing my lord, but I believe that the reason we cannot find the Mudblood or her child is because Snape has hidden them. You see, he and the Mudblood were friends during Hogwarts, and I believe that he may have even held some sort of romantic feelings towards her. My lord, I believe that he has hidden them, and has done so outside of England."

"And where do you believe he has hidden them?"

Macnair smirked before answering, "In Ireland at his ancestral home, my lord."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Oh my gosh! Over 300 reviews! Thank you all so much! You guys don't know how much you mean to me as my readers and that you enjoy my story. I hope everyone still continues to enjoy it and keep reading. Again, thank you all so much! You guys are the best! XOXO, SehunsBae37.**


	26. Chapter 26

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 26: Petunia's Response

Petunia was in her garden tending to her flowers in order to keep her mind occupied, but it wasn't working. She couldn't help but think about Sirius and his confession of…strong like for her. The wizard hadn't made any indication that he wanted to talk to her more about it, but then again, she always moved away from the topic whenever she herself tried to bring it up. But that didn't mean she didn't think about her own feelings in regard to Sirius in her own time.

Sirius was…something else. Not just because he was a wizard and she was a Muggle. No, it had nothing to do with that. Sirius was so charming and considerate; he was almost like the dashing and daring princes and heroes in her romance novels. The only difference was that he was a bit hardheaded and had a slight bit of a childish nature, or great depending on how one looked at it. And she couldn't deny that he made her heart beat faster just at the sight of him. It made her feel like a teenager again. But she didn't think she was ready to open her heart to another man, especially after the way she was so carelessly tossed aside by Vernon. She knew in her heart that Sirius wasn't anything like that portly excuse she called an ex-husband, but she was afraid of getting hurt again.

If there was any one lesson that her mother taught her growing up, it was to listen to and follow her own heart. Petunia had been told plenty of times that she thought too much and missed out on many opportunities because she over thought. She wondered if this was going to be one of those opportunities. Was she going to let a possible good thing get away because of her fears? It would seem ridiculous if she did, and wonderful if she didn't. But how much did she herself really like Sirius? She knew she did like him, but did she care for him the way he did for her?

Sighing she finished tending to her flowers before whistling to her miniature Antipodean Opaleye Twinkle to follow her inside the house where he rested on a leaf snapping at dragonflies that hovered nearby. Twinkle flew over to her shoulder and landed on it, nuzzling her ear in comfort as he could sense her inner conflict. Petunia wondered if all magical creatures, animal or human, could sense another's distress. As she walked inside, she found Sirius sitting and reading one of her many books on the sofa, an intent look on his face as his grey eyes glided over the pages, taking in every word. Before she realized it, a blush had risen in her cheeks, causing her to quickly turn her head and head up the stairs, not at all noticing Sirius' eyes following her in concern.

* * *

Blue eyes popped open later that night for the umpteenth time, an aggravated sigh passing through pink lips. Petunia sat up in bed and ran her hands through her blonde hair, frustrated that she couldn't go to sleep. And the reason she couldn't was because her mind wouldn't settle.

All that was on her mind was Sirius and her possible feelings for him. The blonde woman couldn't get the man off of her mind. And furthermore, he had made a place for himself in her heart, a place where she had always told herself that only a man that she truly loved would dwell. Petunia had thought that man was Vernon, but now…now it seemed that it was the wizard that was just down the hall.

Petunia didn't know if she should be opening her heart to Sirius, but it wouldn't do her any good to just sit around and avoid the topic. Especially so when she knew that Sirius was expecting a response, though he didn't say so. But could she really do it? She wouldn't know unless she tried, and there was no better time than the present, even if it was just a quarter after midnight.

Throwing the covers off of her, Petunia slipped her feet into her slippers and grabbed her robe, putting it on and tying it before heading towards her bedroom door. Opening the door she quietly stepped out into the hallway, silently making her way towards Sirius' room. Reaching the door, she took a few deep breaths before raising her fist and lightly knocking on the wood with her knuckles, holding her breath as she waited for the room's occupant to answer.

* * *

Sirius was perched on the edge of the bed, shirtless and in his jeans, and his hair in a low ponytail. He had his wand in his hand and he was conjuring roses, making each petal fall one by one as he silently said to himself, "She loves me, she loves me not." And each time the final answer would change from 'she loves me' to 'she loves me not'. As a result of his activities, a pile of rose petals had built up in the floor.

Just as he picked the last petal from the rose he currently had, its answer 'she loves me', he heard a light knock on the door. Vanishing the petals and stems, Sirius placed his wand on the nightstand before standing and walking over to the door. Opening it he was a bit surprised to see Petunia, especially so late at night.

"Petunia," Sirius said. "Is there something you needed?"

"I would like to talk, if that's alright," Petunia answered, her eyes averting themselves from the man's naked chest.

The dark haired man nodded and allowed the blonde woman to enter, where she sat down on his bed and looked down into her lap. Sirius sat down next to her and asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"

Petunia seemed to hesitate for a moment before she said, "I wanted to talk to you about what you told me, about your confession."

"Oh," Sirius said, his eyes widening a bit.

Nodding Petunia said, "After you told me that you were more or less in love with me, I was completely shocked. I didn't know what to do or how to respond or react. I felt as if I had had the breath completely taken from my lungs. And as a result I avoided the topic with you and ended up avoiding you completely. I'm really sorry for that, by the way."

"No, it's fine. I admit, I did spring that on you suddenly, though I did plan it out."

"But still, it was wrong of me. I shouldn't have let it become awkward between us. However, I did have a chance to think about your feelings and my own in regards to you. As a result I figured out a few things." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I realized that I do indeed return your feelings, Sirius. I have come to the conclusion that I may be more or less in love with you as well, if not then I really strongly like you. It made me realize that I wouldn't mind being in a relationship with you, regardless of the fact that I'm a Muggle and you are a Pureblood wizard from a prejudice family. Not to mention I'm three years your senior, though age means hardly anything these days. The only thing I'm really afraid of is being hurt again, and I'm afraid that you will hurt me. But I do want to be with you. It took a lot of thinking on my part to come to that conclusion, but it's true."

Sirius didn't know what to say; he was speechless. This woman, this amazing, beautiful woman, returned his feelings, despite the fact she still had reservations. He felt like he could fly a broomstick around the world, to the moon, and back. Of course he understood her insecurities considering what that tub of lard did to her, but he wouldn't do that and he would strangle any man that dared tried.

Gently taking Petunia's hands in his Sirius coaxed the older woman to look at him instead of in her lap. Grey eyes stared into blue as he softly replied, "I'm happy that you feel the same way that I do, Petunia. In fact, I couldn't be happier and I honestly want nothing more than to kiss you right now. However I won't because I don't want to pressure you. But I would be pleased if you decided to be my girlfriend right now. Like I said, I won't push you into making decision just based off of my own; I want you to go at your own pace and I will walk with you along the way. And I can't promise that I won't hurt you, because everyone gets hurt in a relationship, sometimes over the stupidest things. But I can promise you that I won't hurt you the way that good for nothing bastard did. I will forever remain faithful to you, if you'll have me."

Petunia didn't know what to say, but she did feel her eyes fill with tears, some of which spilt over and were caught by the younger man's thumb as he wiped them away. Looking up at Sirius Petunia couldn't help but stare at the handsome man in front of her, the man that had grown into himself, that was so confident and carefree while also being caring and considerate of her, the man that she had fallen for when she thought she wouldn't fall for anyone ever again. Before she knew it she had leant up and pressed her lips lightly against Sirius' own, her eyes closing slowly as she did so. Sirius was surprised that Petunia had kissed him but welcomed it, returning her kiss sweetly before pulling away.

Smiling down at her he said, "We can talk more about this tomorrow if you'd like, though I'm already happy with your response."

Blushing Petunia nodded before standing, bidding Sirius 'goodnight' before leaving and heading back to her own room. As soon as she shut the door behind her, a wide smile spread across the blonde's face as she took her robe off. Walking over to her bed she took off her slippers and got back in, pulling the covers up to her chin as she snuggled into her pillow. And finally Petunia was able to drift off to sleep, her dreams full of Sirius as he flew with her on a broomstick into the night sky.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is short. Summer school work is piling up faster than I can do it and its taking time from me writing. But regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter with Sirius and Petunia. Next chapter, Death Eaters will close in on Lily and Harry. Love, SehunsBae37.**


	27. Chapter 27

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 27: Surrounded & Captured

 _2 Months Later…_

Lily sighed as she rested in her bed, her hand rubbing her now eight month pregnant stomach. She should have at least been in better spirits considering that it was December and nearing Christmas, but she couldn't find it in her to be completely happy. Yes, she was glad she had her son, as well as her friends and their child, but the one person that she wanted that she hadn't seen in over a month was Severus. She missed her lover dearly.

Severus hadn't been able to come and see her as of late, but he couldn't tell her why because Dumbledore had forbade him to. He said it was because he didn't want Lily to worry while she was still pregnant, but Lily believed that it would just make her worry more than she already was. But for Severus' sake, she tried her best to not worry about what was happening outside of Prince Manor.

A kick in her side caused her to groan and she rubbed over where one of her babies kicked her. Smiling she said, "I can't rest if you keep me awake, little ones."

Lily had been thinking about her triplets a lot as of late. She had been thinking about which of her triplets was the Seer that gave her that vision two months ago, and what that would mean for her and Severus in the future. Other than that she had been thinking about what to name them. She wanted to talk with Severus about what to name the children, though she already knew what she wanted to name their daughter. As for the boys, she wanted to talk with her lover and ask what he thought.

There was a knock on her bedroom door before it was opened and Alice walked in with Harry on her hip. She smiled as she walked over to the bed and said, "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was trying to, but they won't let me," Lily replied, pointing at her large stomach.

Alice giggled and sat on the bed, Harry crawling out of her arms and over to his mother. He sat next to her and placed his hands on her stomach before saying, "Hello babies."

The two women smiled and Lily ruffled her son's hair lightly, causing him to giggle before turning to talk back with her stomach. Lily knew the triplets could hear their brother because they were all moving now and it made her grimace a little before she shifted to get comfortable.

"Can you believe it?" Alice asked. "You're going to be giving birth soon."

Lily nodded and responded, "I know, it seems surreal. I mean, it was like that before when I had Harry, but now it seems even more surreal. I'm going to be the mother to triplets and a two year old."

"And you will have Severus by your side to help raise them."

"Yes, that's true. At least, it is for whenever Dumbledore allows him to be with me. You know, I haven't seen Severus in over a month now; I miss him terribly."

Alice gave her friend a sad smile, knowing she must be feeling lonely without Severus. She could only imagine how she would feel if it was Frank that was away for weeks at a time. Lying down next to the redhead she asked her if she had thought of any names for the babies. Lily told her she had and wanted to know what Severus thought of them. When she told her what she planned on naming the girl, Alice squealed and giggled happily, telling Lily that it was perfect.

Harry turned to look at his mother before saying, "Mummy, we go outside."

Lily smiled and replied, "Alright sweetheart, we can go outside." She also wanted to go to the nearest Irish wizard village so she could get some last minute baby things. Frank had taken Neville their and told her about it and where it was, and she wanted to go and see it.

The redhead eased off of her bed and used her wand to put her shoes on before turning to Harry and helping him down off the bed. Alice told Lily that she was going to be with Frank and Neville before leaving the bedroom, followed by Lily and Harry. The two of them made their way downstairs until they finally made it to the first floor. Just as they made it Wimmy appeared in front of them and said, "Ms. Lily, a letter arrived for you."

"Who is it from?" Lily asked.

"A Petunia Evans."

"Oh, Tuney! Thank you, Wimmy."

Lily took the letter and walked with Harry outside, grabbing a cloak and the Prince family Portkey and sticking it in her pocket. As they stepped outside she and Harry walked a ways before Harry stopped to pick some of the flowers from the garden. She took this opportunity to open the letter her sister had sent her.

 _Dear Lily,_

 _I hope you are doing well these past few months. I haven't heard from you and I miss you. Also, how is your pregnancy coming along? It should almost be time for you to give birth, shouldn't it? I hope I can be there with you when you do; if not, it's alright._

 _I have some news to share with you and it might be shocking, but I wanted you to be the first to know. This information might be a little overdo, but better late than ever I suppose. I don't know if I told you this, but Sirius Black is staying here in the house with me. He has been since Harry's birthday party and believe it or not, he has become very capable doing Muggle things. He is also very funny and charming. But the thing that I want to tell you is that he grew feelings for me and confessed them to me. He took me on a romantic trip to Italy to have dinner and it was so magical. I've never been swept off of my feet like that before. And after some time to think about his confession and how I felt about him, I realized that I too felt the same and returned his feelings. And now we have been dating for two months._

 _Lily, I've never felt so happy in my entire life. Of course I would like to see my little boy again and have him here with me in my arms and I miss him terribly, but outside of that Sirius makes me very happy. I know that you and Severus aren't too fond of him, especially Severus, but just know that I know what I'm doing and I really like and care for Sirius. And he has changed from the arrogant and annoying arse that he once was. I hope that you can give him a chance and get to know him properly one day. I understand that there are some magical things going on in your life that I can't be a part of at the moment, but I just wanted to hear from my little sister. Please write back as soon as you can or come visit; either works for me._

 _Your sister,_

 _Tuney._

Lily's green eyes widened as she read the letter. Petunia was dating Sirius? What was Sirius thinking of falling for a Muggle, and her sister at that? Not that she was against wizards and Muggles dating, because she wasn't, but this was Sirius Black she was talking about; the man that always said that Muggles were inferior to witches and wizards and were lower than Squibs. He hadn't said that since their school days, but his opinion of Muggles was rather low. But somehow he had fallen for Petunia and Petunia for him. Maybe her sister had changed him for the better somehow.

Looking over she saw Harry giggling as a butterfly rested on his nose. She smiled and walked over to her son, startling the butterfly and causing it to fly away. Grabbing Harry's hand she asked, "Are you ready to go to the village Frank told us about?"

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed.

Lily giggled and she and Harry walked towards the wards, passing through them before she picked her son up and Disapparated away towards the village.

* * *

Vincent Crabbe Sr. was getting frustrated. How hard was it to find a bloody manor? He and Gregor Goyle were asking around the wizard village where the Prince Manor was, and no one knew. And apparently, those that knew the Prince family had no idea where their home was located. All he knew of it from what they told him was that it was heavily protected and hidden by ancient wards, meaning no one could get in that was not of Prince family blood.

Goyle walked up to him and asked, "Got anything?"

"No," Crabbe answered.

The two of them let out a frustrated sigh as they saw their fellow Death Eaters standing around, observing the people. One of the Carrows suggested that it was possible that the Mudblood would appear in the village, though Crabbe highly doubted it. After the last time she was seen in public, she wasn't possibly stupid enough to do it again.

The sound of someone Apparating caught his attention and he turned to look, only to do a double take. There holding her Half-blood son was none other than the Mudblood, Lily Potter. Maybe she was stupid enough to do it again. He looked at Goyle to see that he too had seen the redhead. The two looked at each other before taking their wands and shooting red sparks into the air, alerting the other Death Eaters in the area.

Lily looked around alarmed as people began screaming and running. As she looked she saw that some people were dueling other wizards which she belatedly realized were Death Eaters. Holding Harry tight to her she hurried to get to a safe place, her wand in hand. However before she could make it far, she ran right into a Death Eater. Without hesitation she fired off several spells at him, the Death Eater blocking them except for the last one which threw him back several feet.

The redhead held tightly to her son as she fended off several Death Eaters that tried to attack her. However she couldn't keep them all off and before she knew it, she was surrounded by several of them. One of them stepped up and she recognized him as Goyle from their Hogwarts days. Holding his wand towards her he said, "Drop your wand, Mudblood. The Dark Lord is waiting."

Harry clung tightly to his mother's neck as he gazed terrified at the people that had been shooting spells at them. He whimpered and buried his face into her neck, whimpering in fear, "Mummy."

Lily shushed him softly and rubbed his back, whispering, "It's alright, love. Everything will be alright."

"That's what you think. Now drop your wand," Amycus Carrow said, his wand trained on the redheaded witch.

Lily looked at him before taking her wand and dropping it, but not before letting out her Patronus and watching it run away. The Death Eaters tried to stop the glowing, silvery-blue panther but were unable to. They knew that the Mudblood had just sent for help and the Dark Lord would not be pleased when he found out that they captured her but were unable to stop her from calling for help.

Giving an irritated snarl Crabbe sent a Stupefying Charm at the redhead, instantly knocking her unconscious as well as her child. Each of the Carrows grabbed one of them before the Death Eaters Disapparated away towards Riddle House. Macnair stayed behind briefly to shout _'Morsmordre'_ and letting the Dark Lord's mark appear in the sky before Disapparating away.


	28. Chapter 28

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 28: Confrontation with Lord Voldemort

Lily jerked awake and sat quickly, looking around at her surroundings. She was in some sort of dungeon, the exact same one that she had been in her vision. Looking over towards her right she found Harry still lying unconscious on the cold floor. Moving towards him she picked him up and cradled her son, softly saying, "Oh, sweetheart."

Harry groaned a little before letting out a whine. He looked up and said, "Mummy."

"It's alright, Harry; I'm here."

"I'm scared, mummy."

That was exactly what Harry had told her in her vision. She rubbed his back soothingly and hummed a little to calm Harry. She could tell that he was scared and she wanted him to be as calm as possible. She could feel her babies moving around and she winced a little as one of them kicked her in her side. Despite that she hoped that her Patronus had made it to Severus. The Death Eaters that had surrounded her weren't able to stop it, so there was a possibility that it made it to her lover before she was magically knocked unconscious.

The sound of a metal door clanking open reached her ears and she scooted herself backwards until her back hit the wall, Harry held tightly to her as footsteps grew louder. The metal barred door that was locking Lily and her child inside creaked open and her green eyes widened to see Antonin Dolohov step inside the dungeon room.

Lily glared at the man as he walked over towards them, a smirk on his face. Once he stopped just short of her, his eyes raked over her body before saying, "The Dark Lord calls for your presence, Mudblood. And unfortunately, I got the task of bringing your filthy blood self to him."

That was exactly what he had said to her in her vision. She was also able to recall her response to those words and what transpired afterwards. There was no way in hell that she was going to allow that to happen to her. Knowing it was in her best interest to go along with the Death Eater, Lily nodded and stood up, holding her son close to her as she did so.

"I thought you would've fought me a little, Mudblood. Now I can't have any fun with you before going to meet the Dark Lord," Dolohov said before pointing his wand at the red-haired woman and forcing her to walk up the stairs to the main part of wherever she was.

As she walked, all the while ignoring the leering Death Eaters she passed by, Lily began to take her surroundings. She was shocked to realize that she was in Malfoy Manor. Why were they here and not somewhere else? Passing some Death Eaters she heard one of them say, "Ever since Malfoy got caught being a spy for Dumbledore, he, his broad, and his kid have been in hiding. Just as well, because now the Dark Lord can use their home and we can take their valuable possessions."

"No we can't; I've already tried. They are protected by ancient magic and I nearly got my fingers blown off," the other Death Eater replied. "But it's so much better here than at Riddle House."

Lily kept walking with Harry in her arms, Harry's green eyes focused on Dolohov as he walked behind them with his wand trained on them. He didn't like this man or the people around them. He wished his daddy was there to help him and his mummy.

Before long they had stopped in front of two large doors where the Carrows were standing guard in front of. The Carrows sneered at Lily before opening the door and Dolohov pushed the pregnant woman inside. Lily looked around to see that the room she was pushed into was very large and spacious. In fact, it was a ballroom. _Just like the one in my vision,_ she thought. And standing in the middle of the room flanked by most, if not all, of his followers was Lord Voldemort.

Lord Voldemort gave the redhead a sinister smile as she was forced to stand about ten feet in front of him while the Death Eaters took the time to circle around her and Harry. Red eyes turned to Dolohov before the evil wizard spoke, "Thank you for bringing her to me, Antonin. I promise to reward you and those that brought her here in due time."

"Yes, my lord," Dolohov answered before moving to stand with the mass of Death Eaters.

Lily held her son to her tightly as she glared at the feared wizard in front of her. She didn't have her wand so she couldn't defend herself, but she refused to show the man any weakness. She needed to be brave, not only for herself but for Harry as well.

Voldemort smirked before saying, "I am pleased to see that you have decided to enter my presence of your own free will, Lily Potter. I would have thought my Death Eater would have had to forcibly bring you."

"What do you want from me?" Lily asked, the question coming out with more bite than what anyone thought.

"It's simple really. I want to live forever and take over the Wizarding World, starting with Wizarding Britain. However a prophecy stated that a young boy would end my reign, your boy to be exact. What I want from you is that you hand over the boy so I can kill him, and then I will ultimately kill you so you can't have that child in your womb right now. But before I do that, I want to know who is the father of that bloody child."

"Never."

Red eyes glared at the witch before he sent a curse towards her, only to be surprised when it rebounded. He quickly blocked it before staring at the woman in shock. Lily too was surprised that that had happened. Looking down at her wrist she noticed the charm bracelet that Severus had given her for Christmas. It was glowing slightly and she remembered that it had a protective charm on it so ward off any attacks towards her. She looked up in time to see Voldemort send another curse her way, followed by three more, only for all of them to be deflected. Lily felt good knowing that her charm bracelet was protecting her and Harry, but unfortunately the Dark Lord realized that it was that piece of jewelry that was protecting her. Turning towards Goyle he said, "Take that bracelet from her. It is getting in the way."

Goyle nodded and moved towards Lily, causing her to step back from him. Right when he was close enough Lily stabilized herself before lifting her right leg and kicking it forward, her foot connecting with the man's stomach. Goyle groaned and doubled over in pain as he clutched his stomach. Many of the Death Eaters were surprised at her action as they weren't expecting it. However it was that action that caused several of them to rush towards her in an effort to take the charm bracelet from her. Lily had no choice but to let them take it from her because she couldn't defend herself from all of them without her wand. She was fair in wandless magic, but being pregnant focused a lot of her magic towards her womb to protect the babies, making wandless magic useless to her.

Once her bracelet was taken from her it was given to Lord Voldemort who looked at it and said, "Interesting charm bracelet, even more so that it protected you. Unfortunately it cannot do that for you now." Pointing his wand back at her he yelled, _"Crucio!"_

Lily screamed as she was subjected to the Cruciatus curse, Harry's screams filling the air along with hers. She dropped to the floor and writhed in pain as the Death Eaters and Voldemort laughed at her turmoil. It was painful, so painful, and she could do nothing to stop it from hurting her or her son. When the Unforgivable was finally released, she panted heavily on the floor as she turned her head towards Harry. She gasped in horror when she saw Harry lying on the ground next to her unconscious, though his little body was still spasming from the after affects.

"Harry," Lily weakly called as she forced herself to try and make her way towards her little boy. Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks when she was finally able to wrap her hand around Harry's arm and lightly pull him towards her. With difficulty she sat up and cradled the two year old in her arms, hoping his spasming body would calm down. She looked up towards Lord Voldemort as he walked towards her, bending down slightly to look her in her face.

"I will ask you again, you filthy Mudblood, and I want the truth. Who is the father of your dirty, bastard child?" he asked her.

Green eyes glared harshly into red as Lily replied, "I'll never tell you anything you want to know."

Voldemort hissed before placing the Cruciatus Curse on Lily again before taking it off and saying, "Fine then. Let's see if your little bracelet holds any answers."

He observed the charm bracelet in his hand for a moment before stopping to look at the charm of the Prince family crest. He studied it for a moment before saying, "I've seen this crest before. It belongs to an ancient family. I wonder what secrets this one particular charm holds."

"No!" Lily called out, knowing that if the Dark Lord saw the memories stored in the charm, he would know that Severus was betraying him, in love with her, and would piece together that he is the father to her unborn triplets.

Right when the Dark wizard was about to open the charm, a familiar voice shouted loud and clear, _"Stupify!"_

Lily watched as Lord Voldemort was suddenly thrown over her head from the impact of the spell, turning her head just in time to see him land in his crowd of followers. Turning her head back she, along with everyone else, saw Severus Snape walk determinedly through the crowd of black towards the opening of the circle where he stood protectively over her and Harry, his wand clutched in his hand.

Letting out a sob of relief she said, "Severus, you came."

Severus bent down and caressed his lover's vibrant red hair before cupping her cheek and saying in reply, "Of course I did. I was in the middle of class when I got your Patronus, but that didn't matter. All I care about are you, Harry, the triplets and the safety of all five of you."

He kissed Lily's forehead, receiving some gasps and shouts of disgust from the Death Eaters around them, before standing back up straight and facing Voldemort who had gotten his bearings and was standing facing the Potions Master. In shock the Dark Lord asked, "What are you doing, Severus? Why are you protecting that Mudblood?"

Severus glared at the wizard and held his wand up in a dueling stance as he replied, "I won't let you harm my family, even if I die protecting them."

"'Family'? Do you mean to tell me that you are in love with this filthy Mudblood still and are the father to that child inside of her?"

"Yes, and I say that with all the pride a man and father has. I'm not ashamed to be with Lily and I love her and our children. I made a mistake joining your ranks and giving the prophecy to you, but I intend to fix that now. Prepare yourself, Tom Riddle, for at the end of this duel, you will die by my hands."

Lily's eyes widened as well as Voldemort's and the Death Eaters. There was silence following Severus' words, but it was quickly broken when the sound of a spell was heard as it was sent flying towards Severus. The man quickly blocked it before sending off a few more of his own. Severus was able to stun Voldemort long enough to place Lily and Harry in a protective bubble and push them away from the circle through the crowd of Death Eaters, injuring a few along the way. Right when they stopped the bubble dropped, leaving them exposed. Some of those Death Eaters took the opportunity to try and attack Lily and Harry, but were stopped with Stunning Spells.

Turning Lily saw Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Alastar Moody, Lucius Malfoy, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black with their wands drawn, some of them already squaring off with the Death Eaters. Sirius and Remus quickly grabbed Lily and Harry and got them away from the ruckus and the flying spells and curses. When they stopped Lily exclaimed, "Remus! Sirius! I'm so glad to see you! How did you get here?"

Remus smiled and replied, "We are too, Lily, and Dumbledore called for our assistance. But right now we have to get you out of here."

"We don't have much time, so let's go," Sirius said before turning and pointing his wand at a running Death Eater, yelling, _"Petrificus Totalus!"_

Sirius grabbed Harry while Remus helped Lily and they quickly made their way through Malfoy Manor, aiming and firing spells at any opponents that came their way. Right when they turned a corner, a Death Eater caught them by surprise about to send the Killing Curse towards them. Just before he could, a feminine voice yelled, "Duck!" They did so and the voice quickly yelled, _"Immobulus!"_

The Death Eater was frozen in place, unable to move, allowing for Lily, Remus, and Sirius to turn towards their savior. They were surprised to see Narcissa quickly making her way towards them, a fierce look in her eyes.

"Cousin!" Sirius called in surprise.

"Quiet, Sirius. We need to get Lily and Harry to St. Mungo's so they can be treated," Narcissa said. "I can't believe that bastard and those heathens did this to my home."

The three of them helped Lily towards the main entrance of the manor, attacking Death Eaters that tried to attack them. Remus had to stop briefly so he could duel a relentless follower of the Dark Lord's, leaving Narcissa and Sirius to take Lily and Harry onward. Just as they made it through the front doors and outside, Lily let out a cry and her knees buckled.

Narcissa bent down with the red-haired woman and asked, "Lily, what's wrong? What is it?"

Green eyes looked into blue for a moment before they shut in pain. Another cry escaped Lily's mouth before she answered, "The babies, I think they're coming."

"What? _Now?!_ " Sirius said, his grey eyes growing wide.

"Yes, now! Ah, it hurts so much!"

"Hold on, Lily!" the blonde witch said as she tried to get Lily through the gates of the manor past the wards, Sirius with Harry and Remus not far behind.

Lily let out another cry and felt a sort of pop before she was completely soaked waist down. She and Narcissa gasped as they realized her water had just broken, both of them ignoring Sirius say, "Gross."

Shaking her head frantically Lily began to say, "No, no, no! This can't happen now! It's too early; I can't have them now!"

Remus placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and calmly said, "Lily, just calm down. Everything will be alright, but these babies are waiting on no one."

"He's right, now we have to hurry before more Death Eaters come after us," Narcissa said.

"But Severus-" Lily started.

"We'll let him know in time. We have to move now; don't continue to delay us, Lily."

Lily looked at her three companions before looking at her unconscious son, then back to the manor. She didn't want to leave to have the triplets and Severus not be there for their birth, but she knew that Narcissa and Remus were right. With a heavy heart she nodded and held tightly to Narcissa before the four of them Disapparated to St. Mungo's.

When they landed in front of the large hospital, a wave of dizziness passed over Lily, causing her legs to give out and fall to the ground. She faintly heard her name being called before she slipped into the black abyss of unconsciousness.


	29. Chapter 29

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 29: Come Back to Me

The first thing that registered in Lily's mind when she woke up was that she felt very sore, especially in her abdomen. Her bleary eyes blinked slowly as her vision came into focus and the first thing she saw was a white ceiling. Where was she? Was she…in St. Mungo's?

Green eyes widening Lily sat up quickly, hissing as pain shot through her body. A pair of hands grabbed her as a voice said, "Careful, Lily. Don't move so fast."

Lily looked to her left and saw Narcissa looking at her with concern in her ice blue eyes. Taking a few deep breaths to try and will away the pain she was feeling Lily said, "Narcissa?"

"It's alright, dear. You're alright now."

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"Not really."

Narcissa was silent for a moment before she said, "Well, you and Harry were captured by Death Eaters and were tortured by the Dark Lord. Then Severus showed up and began dueling against him, and Dumbledore and a few others showed up to battle the other Death Eaters. Lupin, Sirius, and I got you and Harry out of Malfoy Manor and you went into labor. And when we arrived here at the hospital you fainted. All of that happened a week ago."

Lily blinked as she processed what Narcissa had told her. She had gone into labor a week ago? Looking down at her stomach she saw that she was no longer large in her middle, meaning that her babies were no longer in her stomach. Frantically Lily looked around and asked, "Where are they? Where are my babies? Where's Harry?"

"Calm down, Lily," Narcissa said gently. "They all are fine. Sirius and Lupin are with Harry who woke up yesterday, and Lucius and the Longbottoms are with the triplets. They are beautiful, by the way. One of those boys look exactly like you, red hair and green eyes and all."

"Really?" Lily asked with a smile. "I want to see them."

The blonde woman nodded and stood up before helping Lily out of her hospital bed into standing. She took the robe that was on the chair she was sitting in and helped the redhead into it and tied it before slowly leading her out of the room and down the corridor a ways. They stopped in front of a closed door and Narcissa opened the door, leading Lily inside.

Lily saw Remus and Sirius talking with each other, not noticing that they had entered. She was also surprised to see Petunia in the room, Harry seated in her lap. Harry turned his attention towards the door where the two women stood and a bright smile appeared on his face as he called out, "Mummy!"

Petunia looked over and smiled as she stood with Harry in her arms, hurrying over to her younger sister. Wrapping an arm around her sister she said, "Lily! Oh Lily, I'm so glad you are alright! I was so worried when Sirius told me what happened."

"Yeah and she demanded I bring her here," Sirius inputted as he and Remus walked over to them. They both hugged Lily before Harry was passed to his mother. Lily hugged her son close and peppered his face with kisses, causing Harry to giggle.

"Oh Harry, I'm so glad that you are alright!" Lily said as she held her son close, ignoring the pain still in her body. Looking up at Remus she asked, "The Cruciatus Curse didn't hurt him any worse than it did, did it?"

Remus shook his head and answered, "No, he'll be fine. He was spasming, but the Healer was able to stop that and help him to rest easy. He even checked over to make sure there was complete damage to the little guy's nervous system and mind. Harry pulled through better than any toddler probably would; he's a real fighter, just like James was."

Lily nodded and kissed Harry on his forehead as she continued to hug him as tight as she could without squeezing him too hard. Her son was alright and would be, and that was all that mattered. Harry hugged his mother in return before saying, "Mummy, babies?"

Nodding Lily asked to be taken to her triplets. Narcissa lead her and the others out of the room and back down the corridor until they reached another room near the very end of the corridor. The blonde knocked on the door and it was opened a few seconds later to reveal Lucius. The man smiled and beckoned everyone inside while holding a finger to his lips, indicating for them to be quiet upon entering. Once they were inside Lily walked over to where Alice and Frank were looking into three little bassinets, Neville resting on Frank's hip.

Alice turned and smiled at Lily, her blue eyes shining brightly at seeing her best friend finally awake and moving around. She and her husband moved out of the redhead's way so that she could get a good look at the new additions of her family.

As soon as Lily laid her eyes upon her triplets sleeping in their bassinets, her eyes filled with tears that overflowed onto her cheeks. They were so perfect, despite being born a month early. Two wrapped in a blue blanket and one in a pink one. One of the baby boys had, as Narcissa said, red hair and his eyes were most likely green behind their closed lids. The other boy had black hair just like his father and if she looked closely, resembled his father as well; she wondered what color his eyes were. The girl also had dark hair, almost black but seemed to be a bit brown as well. She squirmed for a moment before opening her eyes and looking up at Lily, almost as if sensing she was there. Lily let out a small laugh as she looked into her daughter's dark eyes, black just like her father's.

"Hello, my baby. I'm your mummy," Lily whispered as she reached a hand inside the bassinet and lightly stroked her baby's cheek. The baby girl hummed softly at her mother's touch before drifting back to sleep. Harry giggled in his mother's arms as he gazed down at his infant siblings.

Wiping her tears away, only for more to flow from her eyes, Lily turned to face her friends and said, "They are beautiful, just perfect. Thank you all so much for caring for them while I was unconscious. I know I've probably caused you all a lot of unnecessary trouble, and I'm really sorry for that, but all the same thank you."

Alice walked over to her friend and hugged her saying, "Lily, don't worry about it. We would do it all over again if we had to."

"She's right, we would," Sirius said, his arm wrapped around Petunia.

Lily smiled as she pulled away from Alice as she looked back down at her babies. Her eyes lingered on her son that looked like Severus before she looked back up at the other adults in the room.

"Where's Severus?" she asked.

The smiles on everyone's faces dropped and they all looked at each other, uncertain looks on their faces. It was almost as if they were silently asking each other who would be the one to tell her where her lover was. Lily looked at them all before looking Lucius square in his grey eyes and asked, "Lucius, where is Severus?"

Lucius returned her stare before sighing and answered, "Severus isn't in good condition at the moment."

Green eyes widening Lily asked, "What do you mean?"

Before anyone could answer the door opened and a Healer walked inside, his eyes widening to see all of the people in the room. When he looked at Lily he smiled and said, "It's good to see you awake and in here, Mrs. Potter. And I see you have already seen your babies. I just came to check on them, but since you are here, I was hoping that you had names for them yet. First and last will be fine for now; you can give me middle names later."

Lily blinked for a moment before asking, "Which one was born first?"

"The dark haired boy first, then the red haired boy, and then the girl."

"Well then, I want my first son of the triplets to be called Roderick Severus Snape, the second one Tobias Rupert Snape, and my daughter will be Eileen Muirrean Snape."

The Healer wrote those names down before asking her to sign their birth certificates, their birth date saying that they were born on the thirteenth of December, 1982. She did so and was told that once Severus' signature was on the birth certificates along with hers as their father, they would drop their blood on their designated certificates so that they would be automatically be put under their names at Gringotts. Speaking of Severus Lily asked the Healer where her lover was.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter, but Mr. Snape is not in stable condition at the moment. He has been put into a magical coma and it is hard to say when he will wake up," the Healer told her.

"Magical coma? What happened to him?"

"He battled against You-Know-Who a week ago and was very badly injured. When he was brought to us, he was covered in very deep cuts and he had a severe head injury. It almost took a full hour to stop the bleeding and we almost lost him a few times; one time it took us fifteen minutes to restart his heart. It was better to put him in a magical coma so he can heal. Also, all of the nerves in his right leg were damaged and it is hard to say whether he will walk properly when he regains consciousness. He was also suffering after affects of the Cruciatus Curse. Any other wizard would most likely be dead by this point, but Mr. Snape is still alive and fighting. We have all agreed that it is a miracle he is even still breathing at this point. However his lungs seem to be failing him. Whatever Dark curse You-Know-Who used on him is causing his lungs to fail and is making it hard for him to breath. And unfortunately, we can't find a way to reverse the affects. I'm sorry to say this, but Mr. Snape might not survive through the next week."

Numb. Numbess that was all Lily felt. She couldn't believe the words that the Healer had spoken to her that filled her ears. Severus was…dying? Tears fell from her green eyes as a gasp left her throat, followed by quick pants. Alice quickly grabbed Harry from his mother as Petunia moved to stand in front of her younger sister. Grabbing her gently by her face she said, "Lily, Lily breath. Breath, Lily."

Lily took in a huge gulp of air before a sob escaped her mouth. The blonde woman held the redhead in a hug as Lily sobbed into her shoulder, clutching her tightly as her body shook. The Healer excused himself while the others came to surround the two sisters to give comfort to their grieving friend. They all had been given the news just days ago and none of them could imagine what Lily must be feeling at the moment. She was losing the love of her life.

Lucius placed a hand on the sobbing witch's shoulder and said softly, "Let me take you to him."

Nodding Lily let go of her sister and took her son from Alice, following the blond man out of room they were in and to another floor that was essentially the Wizarding verion of a Muggle ICU. Lucius lead Lily to a door that said _Snape, Severus_ on it and pushed the door open, allowing the woman and her child to enter first. As soon as Lily looked at the figure on the bed, she covered her hand with her mouth as more tears fell down her face.

Severus was lying on the bed unconscious, his torso bare and only covered with multiple bandages. There was also bandages wrapped around his head and a blanket was covering him waist down. He had a peaceful look on his face due to being in his coma, but knowing what happened that brought him to where he was broke Lily's heart. Walking over towards him she said through a sob, "Oh, Severus."

Lucius told Lily that he was going to head back to the others and told her to take her time. Once he was gone Lily sat down on the bed next to her lover's still form, letting Harry climb out of her arms to lie down and snuggle against the man. Seeing that made Lily cry harder as she took the unconscious wizard's hand in hers and gripped it tightly.

"Severus, why? Why does it have to end like this? You promised you wouldn't leave me. You promised! It can't end this way, not with you dying! We have a future and a family to raise together! You can't leave all of that behind!" Lily cried.

The woman continued to cry as she continued to hold the calloused hand in hers, her tight grip never wavering. She watched him through her tears, watching as his chest rose up and down slowly. Her eyes widened as his breathing suddenly stopped, all movement from his chest stopping. Lily gasped as she laid her head to his chest, her ear over his heart to listen for a heartbeat; there was none.

"No. No, no, no, no, no," Lily said frantically as she shook the man. "Severus, wake up. Don't do this, Sev, wake up."

But alas, there was no more movement from the Potions Master. No breathing or anything to indicate any sign of life. A small blue light rose from Seveus' slightly parted lips and rose in the air before turning a red color. The red light then spelled out a single word, a word that broke Lily: Dead.

Lily let out an anguished cry before turning her attention back to the still form on the bed, yelling, "Severus, please wake up! I love you! I love you so much it hurts! I need you! Harry needs you! Our triplets need you! Please wake up! Don't go! Come back to me, please! Come back!"

Harry watched his mother sob and plead with his daddy, making his own tears fall from his little eyes. Sitting up he watched his mother lay her head on his daddy's chest and sob, her hand clenched right over the man's heart. Despite not really knowing what was wrong, he didn't want his mummy to be sad because of daddy. Turning to face Severus he leant down and placed a kiss on the wizard's forehead before placing his tiny hands on top of the one on his daddy's chest. Closing his eyes he felt his magic surge through his little body and into his hands, causing the surge to run down through Lily's hand and into Severus' chest.

The redhead looked at her son, wondering what it was that he was doing with his magic. Whatever it was, he probably didn't understand, but it felt powerful. What in the name of Merlin was Harry doing? She watched in amazement as a shining yellow light began to glow underneath their hands, right over Severus' still heart. All of a sudden the light began to spread all over Severus until his entire body was engulfed in the yellow light. Not only that a wind from nowhere filled the room, whipping their hair around. What was Harry doing?!

"Mummy, don't cry," Harry told her. "Daddy will be okay."

Just as soon as the toddler said those words, the red light that had come from Severus' mouth turned blue once again and floated back down into his mouth. As soon as that happened, the room was filled with a bright light and a loud thumping sound filled the room, almost like the sound of a heartbeat. Lily could feel the room shaking, so much so that possibly the whole hospital was shaking. The sound of the door opening reached her ears and she turned to see that it was open, but none of the Healers could get inside, almost as if something was keeping them out.

Turning back to her child she cried, "Harry!"

Once more the thumping sound boomed around them and the room shook before the bright light grew even brighter, causing Lily to close her eyes to block it out. And then just like that, it was over.

Opening her eyes Lily looked to see Harry looking up at her, a big smile on his tired looking face. Grinning he said proudly, "Daddy is okay now."

Before she could ask what her son meant, Lily felt something beneath her hand that gave her pause. It felt like…like…Severus' heart was beating. Gazing down at him she stared intensely at the man's face, searching for any sigh of him waking up. _Please, oh please,_ she thought.

Severus' face remained as peaceful looking as it did when Lily had first walked inside the room, but then his brows furrowed slightly. His whole face grimaced as he groaned in pain, the sound making Lily gasp as well as the Healers that had entered the room. Lily leaned down closer towards his face as she said, "Sev?"

Black eyes blearily opened before blinking slowly, vision focusing until they were looking into green eyes that they loved very much. Severus smiled before softly saying, "Lily."

Lily sobbed as she quickly made Severus sit up before throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and sobbed as she held him close. Severus wrapped his own arms around her and held her tightly, burying his face in her neck as he breathed in her scent. Pulling away he kissed Lily passionately, pouring all of his love for her into it. Lily returned it just as passionately, neither of them caring that they had an audience in the room.

Severus kissed Lily once more before turning his attention to Harry. With a smile he said, "Hello, Harry."

"Daddy!" Harry cried happily as he hugged the man who hugged him close in return.

The Healers in the doorway were completely baffled. Severus Snape was lying on his deathbed with no chance of recovery. And now, thanks to a two year old, he was sitting up and ultimately healed it seemed. How could a child do what they could not? And a better question was how did he do it? Knowing that it would be impossible to get the answer, because even his mother probably didn't know, they went into Healer mode and began checking over Severus, as well as Lily and Harry. Once they were done the Healers left to discuss what they had witnessed, leaving the family so they could have some privacy.

As soon as the Healers were gone Severus said, "I defeated the Dark Lord, Lily."

"You did?" Lily asked in amazement.

"Yes, I did. I blew him up, so to speak, and it cost me what was left of my magical reserve. Dumbledore suspects that he will return one day, though. He doesn't know when, but he believes he will."

"And we'll be ready for when that day comes. But as of right now, I'm just so happy that you came back to me. I thought I had lost you forever."

The Potions Master smiled and kissed the redhead once more before asking, "What about the triplets? What do they look like? What are their names?"

Lily smiled and answered, "They are beautiful, Sev. The boys' names are Roderick Severus and Tobias Rupert, and our daughter's name is Eileen Muirrean. And I gave them your last name."

Severus stared down at his love in wonder, his black eyes misting over a bit before he blinked the forming tears away. Lily smiled as she saw his eyes shine and she kissed his cheek before saying, "Let me see if I can get someone to bring them here. Unless you think you can walk. The Healer said all of the nerves in your leg were damaged and you might not be able to walk properly."

"The hell I can't," Severus said before throwing the blanket off of him, his legs showing to be covered in what looked like pajama pants. He swung his legs over the edge of the hospital bed and stood up, picking Harry up as he did so and walked towards the door just as he did before ever having nerve damage. Lily stared in amazement at seeing that. Whatever her little boy had done, it had healed Severus completely.

She followed her lover out of his room and to the floor she herself had been on. Lily then lead him to the room where their babies were and after a quick reunion with everyone else, she and Severus were left alone with their children, all four of them. And as Lily sat across from Severus watching him coo over Eileen and Tobias, each of them in his arms and Roderick in hers, she couldn't help but smile as she thought of what joy and happiness the future would bring them.

Lily was so happy to have this moment and she would treasure it forever. Fate had lead her back to Severus, and when it looked as if Severus would be taken from her, a miracle in the form of her son brought him back to her. And now they were blessed with three perfect little bundles of joy. Lily believed that her life had circled her back to where she was supposed to be, and that was having Severus in her life by her side forever. And she knew that there was no way that she would ever divert from it ever again. She had him and her children, and whatever else was in store for them on their journey through life, she was happy to be able to walk and face it with her soul mate.

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 **Author's Note: It's not the end, so don't worry. There will be one more chapter, and CBtY will officially come to a close. Thank you all that have been following this story from the beginning and have enjoyed it every step of the way! XOXO, SehunsBae37.**


	30. Chapter 30

Coming Back to You

SeverusxLily

Rated T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Coming Back to You

Chapter 30: New Beginnings

 _Eight Years Later…_

"Harry, let's go! We can't be late getting you onto the Hogwarts Express!" Lily called up the stairs of Prince Manor to her eldest son. Harry was about to start his first year at Hogwarts and she didn't want him to miss the train. He could have headed on with Severus, but he wanted to experience riding the Hogwarts Express with all the other students.

Lily smiled as she thought of her husband of seven years. After the triplets had been born, Severus had made a point to move all of them into his family home. He stated that it would be safer and that he couldn't stand to think of his ancestral home not being occupied anymore, especially with all the memories it held and getting to know his grandparents. Alice and Frank and moved into a new home but still visited often and to allow Neville and Harry to have play dates. Roderick and Muirrean were very touched that Lily had named Eileen after their daughter, and even more so that two of the three babies were named after them. After they were settled and found a routine with the triplets, Severus planned a special Valentine's Day date for Lily where at the end of the night, he proposed to her; they were married near the end of the summer sometime after Harry's third birthday. Their marriage had been going smoothly, and although they had fights every now and again, they would always make up so as to not go to bed angry.

While Severus still worked his job as Hogwart's Potions professor, Lily started an academy for young witches and wizards in the village near Prince Manor that weren't of age to go to Hogwarts just yet. She hadn't expected the academy to grow the way it did, but she was happy to be able to teach young children about their magic and was even more pleased that they were so eager to learn. When Lucius and Narcissa were told about what she was planning to do, they immediately enrolled Draco, and Alice and Frank did the same with Neville. It didn't take long for other students to join and for Lily's academy, Beginner's Palace for Young Witches and Wizards, to become a huge success.

Outside of being a teacher and a wife, Lily also enjoyed motherhood. She loved taking care of all four of her children, even though it would be tiring sometimes. Harry was always happy to help her and Severus take care of his siblings, especially Tobias who he stated was like his mummy, but in a baby boy form. And Tobias' green eyes would always light up whenever Harry was around. As for Roderick, he was definitely Severus' son. Everything about him just reminded Lily of her husband, even when they had been children. The boy seldom cried and when he did, he could only be calmed by Lily. And as for Eileen, she was a daddy's girl through and through. Severus was wrapped around her little finger, much to Lily's amusement. She was so sweet and though she was the youngest of her siblings, she seemed to watch out for them a lot. It took three years after she and her brothers were born to realize that Eileen was the Seer that Muirrean had suggested. She had been the one to give Lily the vision she had while in the womb, and what confirmed it was when Eileen told Lily in tears that Severus was going to be hurt in a potions explosion. Lily luckily was able to get Severus away from the cauldron, as he had his back turned to it, before it did explode just hours after Eileen had told her that. Muirrean had told them that she may or may not have them more frequently as she got older, as every Seer was different, but even so they were made aware of whenever she did have her little visions.

Life for the Snape family was always an adventure and a sight to behold. Some could even say that they were the happiest family they have ever seen. But most of all, many people spoke of how Severus Snape, already known for having defeated You-Know-Who, was a changed man; he was loving and caring towards his wife and children, displayed affection publicly, and was even nice and courteous to others. And Severus had said to Lily several times that he was thankful for her being in his life and thankful for the family that they had together, that he sometimes was afraid that he was dreaming and that one day he would wake up alone like he had for years before she reentered his life. And Lily would always reassure her husband that she was there, she was real, and everything that they had been through was real.

Lily snapped out of her musings when she heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Looking up she saw her eldest child running down the stairs, prompting her to say, "Harry, don't run."

"Sorry mum. I'm just so excited and I wanted to make sure I had everything packed away to take to Hogwarts," Harry said with a wide smile, his green eyes shining behind his glasses.

"I'm sure if you forgot anything Severus would take it to you. He already took Hedwig with him, so you don't have to worry about her."

"Will dad meet us at King's Cross Station?"

"I doubt it, but you'll see him at school. Did you say 'goodbye' to Roderick and Muirrean?"

"Yes, I spoke to grandmother and grandfather."

"Alright, good. Now do you know where your siblings are?"

Harry shrugged just as Wimmy popped next to him, his luggage in a pile next to her. Lily thanked Wimmy before shrinking Harry's things and placing them in the pocket of her jacket. Right when she was about to call for the triplets, all three of them came running towards her from the direction of the parlor.

"There you three are. We have to go now," Lily said as she ushered her children out of the manor. They five of them walked along the path until they passed through the wards. Once they did all four of the children held tightly to their mother before Lily Disapparated them. They landed a few seconds later next to Kings Cross Station and they walked inside, grabbing a cart where Lily took Harry's things out of her pocket and enlarged (all without being seen), and placed them on the cart before allowing Harry to push it. They made their way through the crowds towards their destination, all the while avoiding bumping into anyone.

Tobias looked up at Lily and asked, "How does it work? Getting onto the platform, I mean."

Lily looked down at her son that was a replica of her and smiled before answering, "You'll see when we get there, dear."

Just as she finished answering that, a voice called out, "Lily!"

Looking up Lily saw Alice waving her over, Frank and Neville standing next to her. They made their way over and the eight of them walked together towards the platform, chatting along the way. It wasn't long before they stopped and were staring at the wall diving platforms 9 and 10. Lily looked at her children and said, "Through that wall is Platform 9 ¾, dears."

Roderick, Tobias, and Eileen all looked skeptically at the wall, not sure whether or not to believe it. They had heard their parents recount their experiences, but it seemed strange to them as seven, going on eight year olds. Lily laughed and suggested Alice and Neville go first. Alice nodded and holding onto Neville's cart with him, the two of them ran towards the wall and to the triplets' surprise, passed right through. Roderick and Eileen couldn't help but look around to see if any of the Muggles had seen, but none had. Tobias on the other hand giggled and started to push on Harry's cart, and the two of them ran forward and also passed through the wall; Frank shook his head with an amused smile and followed after them. Lily looked down at the eldest and youngest of her triplets and took their hands before saying, "There isn't anything to be afraid of. I'll be right here with you, I promise. And think of it this way, you do it now and you won't have to ask questions about how to do it when you go off to Hogwarts for the first time. I remember I was scared like you, but your father helped ease my fears."

"And we'll come out on the other side on the platform?" Roderick asked. When his mother nodded, he nodded and took a deep breath before saying, "I'm ready."

"Me too," Eileen said.

The three of them quickly ran towards the wall and before they knew it, they were standing on Platform 9 ¾. They quickly found Harry and Tobias and Lily helped her son get his belongings boarded onto the Hogwarts Express. It wasn't long before his luggage was on the train and Lily, Roderick, Tobias, and Eileen were taking the time to bid Harry 'goodbye'. Harry smiled at his family and was listening to Tobias list off all that he wanted Harry to teach him when he returned for Christmas when a pair of hands suddenly covered his eyes.

"Guess who," a deep voice said.

Harry smiled and said, "Uncle Luc."

Lucius chuckled and uncovered the boy's eyes before receiving a hug from him, Narcissa also getting a hug from Harry. Harry and Draco hugged as well before moving to talk to Neville. Before they did Draco said 'hello' to Lily and the triplets, laughing softly as Eileen's face turned pink as she looked up at him and hid behind her mother. The adults spoke for a while, Narcissa, Lily, and Alice all getting a bit emotional about their children going off to Hogwarts. However Alice gave them some happy news when she told them that she was two months pregnant and that she wasn't sure who was more excited about it, her, Frank, or Neville; she figured probably Neville as he would be a big brother.

The whistle of the Hogwarts Express blew loudly, alerting all those who weren't on the train yet to hurry and get on before they were left. Harry, Draco, and Neville all gave their parents goodbye hugs before boarding the train and finding a compartment to themselves. They all looked out the window and waved 'goodbye' as they train began to pull out of the station, taking them to on their new journey in their lives.

Lily watched as the giant red locomotive carried her son and his friends away, a smile on her face. This was the start of a new chapter for Harry and she couldn't wait to know all about it. It was a time for new beginnings for her son, and in three to four years time, it would be that way for her other three children. And through it all, she and Severus would be there to watch them grow and be there for them whenever they were needed. Smiling down at the triplets she said, "Let's go home."

The four of them walked away from the platform to head back to Prince Manor with smiles on their faces. Everything was just perfect and Lily believed that nothing could ruin it. However, she would ponder that thought again in four years time.

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 **Author's Note: Thank you all so much for tuning in with Coming Back to You! It has been a long journey writing this story, but I'm very happy with it and glad that you all enjoyed it so much. I must say that this is my best work I've ever done, though I may just be biased. There will be a sequel to CBtY, and I hope you all will tune in for it when it is ready to be published. Again, thank you all so much! XOXO, SehunsBae37.**


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